What is the name of your state? California
Hello,
I am 20 years old
This past weekend I was camping with a fairly large group. 10 or so total at a local campground. When I arrived at the campground I met up with the 2 people who had already arrived. (1 car load of people had left to pick up firewood) I started unloading camping bags from my truck and set up my tent, One of the girls who was there before me asked if they could put their cooler with the drinks in my tent until the others got back. (they didn't want the alcohol in plain sight because no one who was 21 was with us yet) I said sure and didn't think anything of it. I was no more than 10 min after i had arrived a ranger walked up and started asking to see ID's (You have to be 18 to camp at this spot) Some of the girls lied about their age and got caught in the lie because he ran their names through the CA drivers license Database and found they were 17. At this point he told us all we could not camp here and said for us to sit down. At this point he started asking me questions. I answered him truthfully to every question. when he found out the tent belonged to me he asked if he could search it. I said no he could not. When I said that he went over to the tent opened the tent flap and looked in. He saw the cooler and told me to pull the cooler out. I did and he found the alcohol.
He took all the alcohol out of the cooler and the tent (30 Can's of beer 12 bottles and a 1/2 gallon of Hard Alcohol) He asked if it was mine and I said it wasn't. I told him the cooler belonged to the girl that had rented the campsite and she would be back soon. As he questioned me he was very rude. When he questioned the other people around there he was polite and respectful. He asked who was going to drink the alcohol and everyone except for me said that they would be drinking. I told him I had stopped drinking 3 months prior. (I was struck by a drunk driver head on going about 35 mph) I haven't had a drink since.
He told me to pore all the alcohol out after he took a picture. One of the girls said she wanted to help because if anyone was going to poure out her alcohol she wanted to do it. so the Ranger let them help.
We poured out all the caned beers and then when it came to the bottles i couldn't open them because I didn't have a bottle opener. The other people at the campground all had them and the Ranger gave me his to open the bottles. After poring all the alcohol out he gave only me a citation for the alcohol (MIP) because the tent belonged to me. Even after one of the girls had admitted that it was hers and cooler not being mine. There is also no way that all that could have been only mine, but I was still the only person to receive a citation.
I have never received a ticket before or been arrested. My record until now has been clean.
My question is do I have a chance if I fight this ticket? I believe the only reason I received a ticket was because of prejudice (I am black and male). Due to the way be treated the other people in the campground and fact I am the only one who received a ticket.
Also, Did he have probable cause to search my tent? Does he need PC?
If you dont think I have a chance of fighting this ticket and winning what kind of fine or sentence am I looking at.
Thank you in advance.
This entire post is the truth. Please do not respond if you do not beleave me. I am looking for honest help with this charge.
Hello,
I am 20 years old
This past weekend I was camping with a fairly large group. 10 or so total at a local campground. When I arrived at the campground I met up with the 2 people who had already arrived. (1 car load of people had left to pick up firewood) I started unloading camping bags from my truck and set up my tent, One of the girls who was there before me asked if they could put their cooler with the drinks in my tent until the others got back. (they didn't want the alcohol in plain sight because no one who was 21 was with us yet) I said sure and didn't think anything of it. I was no more than 10 min after i had arrived a ranger walked up and started asking to see ID's (You have to be 18 to camp at this spot) Some of the girls lied about their age and got caught in the lie because he ran their names through the CA drivers license Database and found they were 17. At this point he told us all we could not camp here and said for us to sit down. At this point he started asking me questions. I answered him truthfully to every question. when he found out the tent belonged to me he asked if he could search it. I said no he could not. When I said that he went over to the tent opened the tent flap and looked in. He saw the cooler and told me to pull the cooler out. I did and he found the alcohol.
He took all the alcohol out of the cooler and the tent (30 Can's of beer 12 bottles and a 1/2 gallon of Hard Alcohol) He asked if it was mine and I said it wasn't. I told him the cooler belonged to the girl that had rented the campsite and she would be back soon. As he questioned me he was very rude. When he questioned the other people around there he was polite and respectful. He asked who was going to drink the alcohol and everyone except for me said that they would be drinking. I told him I had stopped drinking 3 months prior. (I was struck by a drunk driver head on going about 35 mph) I haven't had a drink since.
He told me to pore all the alcohol out after he took a picture. One of the girls said she wanted to help because if anyone was going to poure out her alcohol she wanted to do it. so the Ranger let them help.
We poured out all the caned beers and then when it came to the bottles i couldn't open them because I didn't have a bottle opener. The other people at the campground all had them and the Ranger gave me his to open the bottles. After poring all the alcohol out he gave only me a citation for the alcohol (MIP) because the tent belonged to me. Even after one of the girls had admitted that it was hers and cooler not being mine. There is also no way that all that could have been only mine, but I was still the only person to receive a citation.
I have never received a ticket before or been arrested. My record until now has been clean.
My question is do I have a chance if I fight this ticket? I believe the only reason I received a ticket was because of prejudice (I am black and male). Due to the way be treated the other people in the campground and fact I am the only one who received a ticket.
Also, Did he have probable cause to search my tent? Does he need PC?
If you dont think I have a chance of fighting this ticket and winning what kind of fine or sentence am I looking at.
Thank you in advance.
This entire post is the truth. Please do not respond if you do not beleave me. I am looking for honest help with this charge.
