Connecticut Fake ID Penalties
A penalty of getting charged with any criminal offense is being required to go to court, which is a penalty in and of itself. The penalties for forgery or a fake ID in Connecticut could include incarceration, a fine, a criminal conviction, and a period of probation, during which time the student will have to report to a probation officer.
The penalties for a fake ID in Connecticut differ based on the severity of the charge. Generally, a felony charge will have more serious penalties than a misdemeanor.
Potential Penalties
The misdemeanor charge is a Class B misdemeanor, so the maximum penalty is six months in jail, a fine, and a period of probation or any combination of those penalties.
The most severe charge for possessing fake identification at UCONN would be the Class D felony, which is forgery in the second degree. The most severe penalty would be up to 5 years in jail, a fine of up to $5,000, and a period of probation. Get in touch with a knowledgeable attorney to learn more about the punishment for possessing a fake id.
Possibility of Probation
If someone is not a danger to society and forgery is the only charge, but they are not eligible for the charge to be dismissed, it is possible to be punished with consequences other than incarceration, such as probation.
A defense attorney may be able to get someone’s sentence negotiated to probation, instead of incarceration, especially since this is a non-violent offense. Additionally, the attorney is often able to present a package of materials to the judge to show why the defendant does not need a period of incarceration for rehabilitation and why probation is more beneficial.
Most likely, a person would be sentenced to community service as a part of probation because the court would have to monitor it. Community service or a fine could be an addition to probation. Further, a person might also see a disposition that is only a fine as a penalty for a fake ID in Connecticut.
Discharge
The other outcomes of a fake ID charge are the most common. Connecticut has two other possible dispositions, a conditional discharge and an unconditional discharge. It is possible that the student’s case would be disposed using one of those methods.
The penalty for a fake ID in Connecticut would require the student to stay out of trouble for an amount of time that the court sets. The distinction between these two options and probation is that unlike probation, the defendant would not have to check in with anyone while waiting for the case to be disposed. For these to occur, the court would have to say that the defendant did not need supervision. Most often, this is limited to circumstances when the student lives out-of-state. Connecticut is not always able to supervise someone living in another state that is on probation. In these instances, a discharge might be easier for the court.
Benefits of an Attorney
An individual should make sure that they contact an attorney from the very beginning to help lessen or dismiss any potential penalties associated with a fake ID charge in Connecticut. A lawyer will be able to show the prosecutor at the first court date that, generally, this person is a good person, a good student, and other favorable factors.
Often, experienced attorneys will ask for the person’s University of Connecticut transcript if they have good grades and reference letters. The attorney may also have the individual seek treatment from a licensed alcohol counselor to put them in the best position possible before stepping into court.