I was arrested the other night in Ohio for two misdemeaner and I have court tomorrow. I don't know what to expect and I am scared as hell of what's going to happen to me and how it will affect my future. I've always been a good kid all my life. I'm 20 years old college student with a clean record before all this happened. I am really dissappointed in myself and my poor decisions that night. Please answer any of these questions if you can.
I believe I was charged with an underage and buying alcohol underage. I am going to plead guilty to drinking underage but I did not buy alcohol that night. I was carrying my older brother's ID that night but I did not use it (because there was already alcohol present at the party I went to). What can I expect to happen to me? What kind of fines and penalties should I expect? How will this affect my future with jobs and such? Do you have any tips or advice for when I appear infront of the judge?
Also what exactly happens in court tomorrow?
2007-12-03 05:01:55 · 5 answers · asked by ZTT477 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
Ok, to start, what will happen in court is that you will be read the charges pending against you and ask how you will plead. Since you are 20, you will be in adult court. You can plead guilty to the charge of drinking while underaged, but you should plead not guilty to buying alcohol while underaged if you did not commit the crime. Make sure you ask for a court appointed attorney though because they can explain your options to you. Since this is your first offense, a variety of things could happen. You could plead out with the prosecution for a lesser sentence, probably probation, AA, and/or a fine. This may affect your future in regards to jobs if you work in any area of law enforcement.
Tips? Dress nicely and speak respectfully. Do not argue with the judge and listen to your lawyer. Next time, don't break the law. If you are a smart kid, you should have known. Also, your brother might get charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor (you). This about how your actions might effect other people. Good luck.
2007-12-03 05:12:05 · answer #1 · answered by wenchiepirategirl 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
DON'T PLEAD GUILTY!!
As soon as you do that, the court can / will do whatever it wants.
1) Get a lawyer....NOW!
It won't cost much (about $1000). Let him/her negotiate with the prosecutor.
2) Tomorrow, go to court and plead not guilty. Tell them you will be retaining counsel. That's all that will happen. They will want to know your lawyer, so if you can, retain one today. If not, just tell them you'll be the contact for future court dates, and you'll let them know who your lawyer is ASAP.
I know you'll want to "get it over with", but your best bet is to go through the legal process.
Other notes:
Dress decently. You don't have to wear a suit/tie, but a nice, clean shirt and slacks is good.
Always be polite to everyone.
Penalties? Probably something like community service and $500 fine and court costs.
The future? You'll have to admit to it on job applications, but that will usually go away after 5 years (most apps have that time limit). A misdemeanor isn't a big deal. Mostly, embarrassing to admit to.
P.S. I had to admit to one and have a great job. You'll live and learn.
2007-12-03 05:14:06 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
You can ask for Deferred Adjudication which will defer the judgment for a period of time. During this time, if you stay out of trouble the charges are effectively dropped. I know you are scared, but you aren't going to go to jail. These are misdemeanor charges and most jobs are only concerned with felonies.
2007-12-03 05:11:17 · answer #3 · answered by kiddkosmic 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Get a lawyer. That's the best way to plea it down. Yes, you can plead guilty, but a lawyer would be able to lessen the sentence.
2007-12-03 05:06:50 · answer #4 · answered by DOOM 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
if you have no other arrests, you'll be fine. take the fine and move on with your life.
2007-12-03 05:10:20 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋