Alcohol & Drugs: MIP, MIC, Intoxication Need some advice

[TRD457]

Not too long ago me and a group of friends got caught stealing alcohol, I know it was wrong and trust me I will NEVER do it again and I definitly learned my lesson. My question is we all got written up with "Minor is possession" and "Petty theft." I take full responsibility for the petty theft charges but I was never in possession of alcohol, my role was to be the look out person, i never came in any contact with the bottles. My court date is next week and I plan on pleading guilty for the Petty theft charges and not guilty on the MIP charges. I am wondering is this a wise decision to make to plead not guilty? Will I need a legal representative to plead my case? Also I have had a clean record my entire life, this would be my first time I had trouble with the Law, Im also 18 freshman in College.

Also if anyone has any more advice or have been in a similar situation, I can use all the help and advice.

 

[NYClex]

Hm, being 18 and at the beginning of your professional life it might be a good idea to invest in consulting an attorney before you have your court date and go through all the possible ways this case could go. There might be better venues to protect your future interests, especially when it comes to your criminal record. He might also have a word with the prosecutor about the MIP charge.

It all depends on the circumstances. Most DAs don't want to go trial for a MIP charge alone, so may be they will drop it if you plead guilty to the theft. That should be explored.

But like I said, there might be other ways to resolve the case. More important than the possible fine or community service or even short jail time you are facing is the question of how that will stay in your criminal record and affect the rest of your life.

An attorney will be able to answer that all.

 

[freebird]

The advice given to you is good to consult an attorney, especially if your record is clean. The charge of MIP should be dropped immediately. What you might consider doing is speaking to the prosecutor about getting some type of probation with adjudication of the case withheld. That means that if you successfully complete your probation it will mean that the record will state that the case against you was dismissed.

Originally posted by NYClex
Hm, being 18 and at the beginning of your professional life it might be a good idea to invest in consulting an attorney before you have your court date and go through all the possible ways this case could go. There might be better venues to protect your future interests, especially when it comes to your criminal record. He might also have a word with the prosecutor about the MIP charge.

It all depends on the circumstances. Most DAs don't want to go trial for a MIP charge alone, so may be they will drop it if you plead guilty to the theft. That should be explored.

But like I said, there might be other ways to resolve the case. More important than the possible fine or community service or even short jail time you are facing is the question of how that will stay in your criminal record and affect the rest of your life.

An attorney will be able to answer that all.