Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor By Providing Alcohol

My question involves criminal law for the state of: Ohio

I'm 19 years old, I was at a friends grad party and it was shut down by the police. Everyone was broken up and charged with different things. I wasn't charged with anything at the time. One (18) year old kid had admitted to drinking and ended up charged. They took my info down an left. Then I got a letter in the mail stating that I'm being charged with delinquency of a minor and a court date. I can't even buy alcohol. I have never been charged with anything except traffic offenses and have never had a problem with the law. What do I do?

You hire a criminal defense attorney and fight the charge, or plead guilty and accept the court's punishment.

Unfortunately, since the offense you're being charged with is a misdemeanor without risk of significant jail time, you're not going to get a public defender. You're better off hiring a criminal defense attorney. You're young and right at the juvenile cut off age. You can try representing yourself, but it's not a great idea.

Do you just make stuff up as you go along? Where do you get the idea that there's no right to counsel in misdemeanor cases?

Many misdemeanors carry penalties that, on their face and absent an up-front commitment that no jail time will result from conviction, trigger the right to counsel.

In some states if it's a misdemeanor and the Da not going for Jail time then a public defender is not required.

Apparently I need to repeat myself: Many misdemeanors carry penalties that, on their face and absent an up-front commitment that no jail time will result from conviction, trigger the right to counsel.