Can we get ticketed if we gave our 20 year old a beer?

Question

My 20 year old son received a mip ticket while trying to explain to the officer why his friends were starting a commotion outside of a private residence.
He had a few beers with his father earlier and I dropped him of at his friends house. when an officer arrived at the scene, he smelled beer and gave my son a ticket. If we fight this, will my husband get a ticket for giving our son a beer?

(3) Affirmative defenses:
(a) Private property with consent of owner and parents

Answer 1

Oh come on with these answers....... in everyway if you fight it there is serious potential for things going bad for your son and his father.

If you fight it the judge will go to town. The fact is in the US it is illegal to drink alchohol if under 21...... period. The fact of where he got it or when is moot. The offence stands.

Fight it and you will be admitting that you provided your son with alchohol...... bringing this to the judges attention. Then you dropped him off..... there is no law about supervision at 20. Then not only was he drinking but he was in an altercation...... there is no explaining that. He could have walked away and there is no reason to have a commotion outside. Him trying to explain and putting him in the forefront will say a lot to the judge... regardless.

Best that you son just cops to the charge and says nothing else. Meanwhile hoping the judge does make the condition that he tells where he got the beer in order to get off light.

I was a military brat, my mother is English and for the most part I grew up in England and Germany so I subscribe to the way they do things there. You let kids drink a bit here and there so they realize it is a social thing....... not getting wasted in college because you can.

But here in the US if you even attempt to fight it everybody will lose.

Answer 2

I think the one girl was right before when she said you have to stay with your child till the child is sober. If you are not with your child when he gets the ticket there is nothing you can do. I would go to the police station and find out though. No reason to listetn to hear say off the internet. Laws are different accross the country. Stuart no one cares if your disapponted, at least i don't. Go look down on yourself and grow up. Some old people can be so petty.

Answer 3

His father could get a contributing ticket! As his parent it was not illegal to give him alcohol, but where you screwed up was taking him somewhere else outside of your supervision. You have the right to serve your child alcohol but he has to remain with you. If you go to a restaurant you being the parent must order the beverage and then yourself serve it to him (if the establishment does not have rules against it). The minute the minor leaves your supervision it becomes illegal.

Answer 4

ok im not from America but..

how can it be 'giving alcohol to a MINOR' if the age of being a legal adult in the US is 18??

being under the age of drinking alcohol clearly does not necessarily make someone a minor

b.t.w this whole situation is ridiculous, how does your government get away with preventing legal adults from drinking, from a civil liberties point of view?
in England people think 18 is too draconian and want it to be lowered to 16 like Germany et al

Answer 5

i would just pay the fine maybe split the ticket bc your husband gave him the beer which had got him a ticket for drinking underage and it is partly your husband and sons fault so both should pay the fine. I would not fight it bc your son is underage and that could get you more in trouble bc your husband gave him the beer and your husband would get into deeper trouble bc even though you are his parents you gave beer to an underage person. that is illegal. but that is your descion weather your fight it or not. I would not.

Answer 6

While in most states is is acceptable for youth to drink with their parents, that right usually ends when the youth becomes a legal adult at the age of 18. In Wisconsin, where I live, it is legal for someone between the ages of 16 and 18 to be in a bar or restaurant drinking with their parents. Once they turn 18, however, it is ILLEGAL for that person to drink at all, regardless of whom they are with. Fighting the ticket will probably not get you anywhere -- your husband may or may not get a ticket, but it will not get rid of your son's underage drinking ticket.

Answer 7

He's still a minor and you're still responsible for him. Be prepared to pay more than a ticket. If they want to get "funny" you could possible do some jail time. Especially the person who actually gave him the beer.

Answer 8

If you give your child beer, which is legal, you MUST be with him until the effects of the beer wear off. If he was not drunk or was not in any way intoxicated and only smelled of beer then you have a chance. However, if he was still under the influence then the ticket will stick. So how many beers, how many hours?

Answer 9

I think it may depend on what state you live in. I know Texas has some funny liquor laws about underage drinking.

added: Seriously, Stuart is dead wrong. I just looked in up and in about 4 states if your parent, spouse, or legal guardian provides you will alchohol and you are underage, it is NOT illegal.

Hey Stuart, when people are asking for info and advice, your "best guess" isn't really what they are looking for.

Answer 10

Yup, you can technically get a ticket for "Contributing to the delinquency of a minor." It's like a $1000 ticket. But really, you will never get one unless you are doing this in public. I wouldn't worry about it.