Alcohol & Drugs: MIP, MIC, Intoxication Underage in Ocean City

[Brad2]

Recently, some friends and I were in Ocean City, New Jersey. Everyone (including myself) in the house is 18 or 19. After a few drinks, I went to bed. Soon after, some of the people in the house went out onto the porch. Local police approached them, citing them for a noise violation and asked for I.D. The I.Ds were inside of the house, but the police would not allow them to go inside without the police accompanying them. They eventually got into the house, where they found some alcohol. They began searching the entire house. They woke me up (rudely, insinuating that I was faking being asleep). After gathering everyone in the house, we were all cited with Alcohol Possession/Consumption (Ocean City Police Regulation 4-1.3). We were interrogated by the police, and, flustered, I admitted to consuming some alcohol a few hours earlier. The policeman said that the charge we were given amounted to that of a Parking Ticket (assuming we paid on time), and that it would not be on any permanent record (for job applications, etc.). The ticket came with a $275 fine, however there were no other consequences. I do not need a court date, however I was considering arguing against the ticket. I did not own any of the alcohol in the house, nor was I breathelized. Is there any possibility of overturning this ticket in court? What sort of court costs can I expect to see, whether I lose or win?

 

[disagreeable]

The cost to hire a lawyer to argue your case will be high. As they have your confession, they are almost assured a win. Your only possible defense would be that you were to drunk to make a coherent statement. You see how that falls apart.