Student Defense

With the assistance of liquor, what may start out as innocent fun can quickly turn into disorderly conduct. This fun can present serious consequences. When anyone receives a criminal conviction, it can have a life-long impact upon the defendant.

Often, a minor accused of a crime will not fully comprehend the ramifications of their actions. State law does permit certain minors to be charged with a crime as a youthful offender.

If a minor is reclassified as a youthful defender, then their case will not be prosecuted, but instead, it will be adjudicated. Not all minors will receive this reclassification.

If your loved one has been charged with a crime as a minor, call an Alabama student defense lawyer right away. An experienced Alabama student defense lawyer can assist your loved one with all legal matters.

Call a compassionate and experienced defense attorney today. They will battle for the justice you and your family deserve.

A criminal conviction can leave a permanent scar upon one’s record and can hinder one’s ability to find employment or gain acceptance into graduate school. The state attempts to mitigate the impact of a conviction on a minor, by establishing a different classification—a youthful offender status.

Through the adjudication process, the law seeks to help and rehabilitate the young offenders, instead of simply punishing and criminalizing them.

Any person under the age of 21 who is charged with a crime may submit a request to be reclassified as a youthful offender. With a reclassification, the offender would not face criminal prosecution, though they would still be subject to some penalties. An Alabama student defense lawyer can help individuals apply for youthful offender classification.

As a rule, youthful offenders receive lighter penalties than they otherwise would face as a criminal defendant.

Routinely, young people are charged criminally for possession or consumption of alcohol. Most young adults and teenagers are not aware that the law indeed makes it a crime to drink under the age of 21.

Those who are found guilty of drinking while underage may face a fine and a jail sentence of up to 30 days. If the offender was under 18 years of age, then the punishment may be placed in a juvenile facility.

Another very common charge seen is driving under the influence as an underaged person. In the state of Alabama, if a person is under the age of 21 and has a blood alcohol content of 0.02% or higher, then that means the driver is legally under the influence.

The higher one’s blood alcohol content percentage, the tougher the penalties, including the following:

• Up to a year in jail
• Fines from $500 to $2,000
• 30-day suspension of license

Charges and convictions related to alcohol can be seriously harmful to the criminal records of young people. Many universities and colleges incorporate these conviction records into the student’s academic record. Increasingly, employers are weeding out applicants who have a criminal record.

Young people are often not fully apprised of the severity of their conduct, which may be considered criminal. The punishments are very serious and have a lifelong impact.

If a loved one is in this very trying situation, an experienced Alabama student defense lawyer can defend your loved one against any and all criminal charges. If your loved one has been charged with a crime, contact our student defense attorneys as soon as possible.