Walk It Through: The Graduation Party
A $250 fine in public, a case in the trunk, and 0.01 percent at the wheel.
A graduation party spills into a public park, and an officer sees an underage guest holding a beer.
Two things a person in this spot might do. Picking one shows what the law says about it.
One party and the ride home. Buying in a bar, false identification, furnishing to a minor and the 0.05 percent offense are not worked through here.
A practice walkthrough, not a prediction of how any real one will go. Legal information, not legal advice.
Words this turns on
Terms with a legal meaning that is narrower than the everyday one. Each links to the definition and the authority behind it.
- Minor in possessionA person under 21 years of age possessing an alcoholic beverage in a public place, a misdemeanor punished by a fine of $250 or 24 to 32 hours of community service.
- Implied consentA driver lawfully arrested for driving under the influence is deemed to have consented to a chemical test of blood or breath. A refusal with no prior offense within 10 years suspends the privilege to drive for one year.
- Zero toleranceThe rule that a person under 21 may not drive with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.01 percent or more.