Summary Offense for Drinking a Beer on State Park Land

[EastCoastKayak]

My question involves criminal law for the state of: Pennsylvania

I received a summary offense for drinking a beer on Pennsylvania State Park land. I was kayaking with some friends down one of the gorgeous rivers there and a DCNR Ranger came into a parking lot to find all of us with a beer in hand. While I have seen numerous instances of people receiving warnings, this particular ranger took our drivers licenses and confirmed our address and due to our violation of PA State Law, would receive something in the mail within a week or two. Fast forward to today, I received my notice of a Summons For Summary Case Non-Traffic with just a "Contact Office" listed in the Total Due section of the page. On the actual ticket, it lists the J.C.P./A.T.J./C.J.E.A. as $40.25, though it has a crossed out $35.50. My understanding is this is the fee for processing the ticket and recently was increased by the Governor of PA this fall.

My friends who have received the ticket have had one of two things happen: 1. No Contact Office written on the summons; 2. the $35.50 fee is not crossed out.

So I guess I'm curious what is going on? What is the potential punishment as the $40.50 can't be the only cost associated...? What is my best course of action for this (ie. just plead guilty by mail after contacting the office or talk with a lawyer to fight it?)

Thank you for your valuable time and insight!

[adjusterjack]

You got caught with the beer.

You want to pay a lawyer $300 per hour to fight a $45 ticket that you can't win. That's nuts.

Pay the fine and get on with your life.

[EastCoastKayak]

There's no total free/total due listed anywhere, just the fee I mentioned above, so that's what I'm curious about.

[asa_jim]

Call the phone number they gave you.