Social Hosting Charges in Darien
Underage drinking can be a serious offense, more so if you are an adult providing alcohol to minors. An arrest could lead to felony charges and conviction, in turn leading to less housing and employment opportunities. Do not let these charges ruin your life. If you face social hosting charges in Darien, speak to a competent criminal defense attorney used to defending providing alcohol for minors charges. An attorney can work diligently, speaking to witnesses, and collecting the necessary evidence to construct your case.
Laws Concerning Underage Drinking
There are several laws involving underage drinking, and the first is possession of alcohol by a minor, also known as minor in possession tickets under CGS 30-89. The other law is the failure to halt possession of underage drinking or failure to halt possession of alcohol by a minor under statute 30-89. There is a failure to halt possession of alcohol which is illegal per CGS 30-89(b) and this law applies to anyone underage or when they are under 20 or over 21 and they fail to prevent an underage person from possessing alcohol. And there is also the illegal distribution of alcohol to a minor and that is a felony under 30-89.
That is an unclassified felony, a Class E Felony and that is when a person buys alcohol for anyone under 21 or distributes alcohol or helps them consume or provide alcohol. And then there is something called social hosting and that is another 30-89 crime, so there are four major laws that are typically enforced in Darien.
Can Parents Be Arrested for Providing Alcohol to Minors in Their Own Home?
Parents can be brought in for social hosting charges, ie for providing alcohol to minors in their own home. Parents can be arrested for serving alcohol to their own children or anyone else’s children even if it is done in the privacy of their own home and even if it is supervised by the parents and the parents have permission from the parents of the other children.
Summons for Underage Drinking
It is important to keep in mind that these are not criminal arrests, they are summonses. Summons for underage drinking are infraction tickets that are issued to underage drinkers and are punishable by a fine, as well as a conviction of guilty plea on their record, and this law prohibits anyone under 21 from possessing alcohol or being caught in consuming alcohol.
All summonses and arrests for underage drinking, providing alcohol to minors, and social hosting, must report to Stamford, Connecticut Superior Court. That is because Darien, Connecticut does have a criminal courthouse so that is where all of the underage drinking tickets and minor possession tickets are heard. In this situation, it is best if a person hires a criminal lawyer who is familiar with the Stamford Courthouse and knows how to fast track their case to a possible dismissal.
Law Enforcement’s Right to Search Homes for Alcohol
The police have the right to come in and search a suspect’s home for alcohol right under certain circumstances. If the police receive a report of children who are underage drinking or doing drugs in the house, then they can enter the home without a warrant and they can search the house for alcohol, drugs and underage drinking parties.
This happens all the time and parents are routinely arrested for trying to cover up for their kids and trying to cover up for their own provision of alcohol. Social hosting charges in Darien are felony charges that can haunt parents. Being charged can change a parent’s life, blemish their record, and, cause havoc in their employment or job search.
Importance of Working With an Attorney
The most important reason to work with someone who is experienced with underage drinking charges and social hosting charges in Darien is that an experienced underage drinking lawyer can know all of the various alternative defense strategies available when defending an underage drinking arrest. A seasoned criminal lawyer will know what legal options are possible can use their knowledge to attempt to achieve a positive outcome for you.