Minor in Possession of Alchohol in California

My question involves criminal law for the state of: California

I'm a minor and was on my way to go on a road trip with my friend who happens to be 21. She provided alchohol to my friend and as she went to her car, I was helping my friend put the market bags into his trunk. I knew there was alchohol in the bags, but I honestly had no plans to consume any of it and I have a clean record. I was merely helping him put the bags in his car when the police showed up and gave me a ticket for possession of alchohol. What could possibly happen? When I asked the police, they told me it would be considered a misdemeanor and will come off my record in a few years. Will it go away when i turn 18? and could this misdemeanor possibly be dismissed? What will happen to my license and will this affect my college acceptances?

Get an attorney, California has a mandatory minimum 1 yr licesne suspension if your convicted.

No, it won't "come off" your record in a few years, nor does it disappear at 18 automatically. While it is not readily accessible by the general public, any court record CAN be. However, as a juvenile, the chances of John Q. Public accessing the info is almost nil. However, government employers or contractors could possibly access it in a background investigation.

It might be beneficial to get an attorney, but otherwise this is not a serious offense. Plus, I seriously doubt that the police even looked twice if you were merely loading groceries in the trunk ... I suspect their account will be somewhat different than yours.

- Carl