Possession by a Minor Charge After Trying to Pick Somebody Up From a Party

[lawfacts]

What can somebody do if they're charged with being a minor in possession of alcohol, even though they did not personally possess or consume alcohol? The person is twenty, and was called by a friend to pick her up from a party. The person went inside to find the friend, when the police arrived, said that nobody could leave, and ticketed everybody who was under the age of 21 for possession of alcohol by a minor.

[Mr. Knowitall]

I suggest working through a lawyer.

If there are clear call or text records that show that you had been called to pick up a friend and could only have been present for a few minutes, more so if other witnesses back up your story, you have a decent shot at convincing a prosecutor to dismiss the charge on that basis.

Also, often when large numbers of people are ticketed in this type of incident, a prosecutor may be offering a favorable deal to everybody who was present rather than trying to prove each individual case in court.