I'm 18 and live in California. Last night, I was at a hotel party in San Jose, CA for several hours. While there, I consumed alcohol, but no illegal drugs. A friend and I attempted to leave the hotel in my car at around 2:30 AM, but we were prevented from leaving by a San Jose police officer, who tapped on my car window and asked for my identification. After I gave them my license, they asked me to step out of the car and began asking what I was doing at the hotel, and what room I had been at. I admitted to drinking 2 beers, and gave them the hotel room number. I voluntarily allowed the officer to search my car, which was clean. Another officer began asking me about my record( I don't have one), any illegal drugs I may have used( I didn't use any), and whether anyone else in the hotel room was using drugs( I stated to to the best of my knowledge, they were not.) At this point, the officer must have felt I was being untruthful, as he proceeded to handcuff me and sit me in the patrol car's backseat. He told me to "think about what I was saying." After a few minutes, he let me out, and I repeated that I had not used drugs nor had anyone else. The officer then proceeded to the hotel room, told everyone to leave, told us to dump all the alcohol, and then left.
My question is I was never arrested, charged, read my rights, or given a citation. However, the officer did ask me for my social security number, home telephone number, and home address, and if I had any scars or tattoos. Is it possible for the police to retroactively issue me a ticket by mail or tell me to appear in court by phone? Also, if they were to issue me a citation, what offense could they cite? To my knowledge, the only actual underage drinking offenses are being in possession of alcohol, and I had none on my person or in my car, and being intoxicated in public, which I don't see how they could cite me for since they did not give me Breathalyzer test, and I was not in a public place, as I was at a hotel room and then in my personal car.
Any advice in this matter would be greatly appreciated.
-ippi76