Westport Possession of Alcohol by a Minor Lawyer

If you are a minor and have received a CGS 30-89 Possession of Alcohol by a Minor ticket in Westport, Connecticut, it may not seem like a big deal right away, especially if the cop who wrote you the ticket tells you that you can just plead guilty by mail and pay a fine.

This may sound especially tempting if you are trying to stay out of trouble with your parents.

But what the police won’t tell you is that these tickets are much more serious than they appear. As any of the best Westport Connecticut criminal lawyers and attorneys know, if you plead guilty by mail, you can end up with a conviction for CGS 30-89 Possession of Alcohol by a Minor on your driving record, and a lengthy driver’s license suspension.

So if you’ve received a ticket in Westport Connecticut for Possession of Alcohol by a Minor, contact a top Westport Connecticut criminal defense attorney right away to find out how to successfully fight it and get it ripped up in court.

Isn’t It Quicker and Cheaper to Just Plead Guilty by Mail to a Westport Connecticut Possession of Alcohol by Minor Ticket?
Of course it is, but it’s a terrible idea. Any top Westport Connecticut criminal defense lawyer attorney knows that if you plead guilty by mail to a CGS 30-89 Possession of Alcohol by a Minor, you will end up with DMV and insurance penalties (these penalties also apply to Westport Connecticut possession of marijuana tickets–click here for more info on that).

That Language on the Back of the Minor in Possession Ticket is Misleading

Don’t be fooled by the language on the back of your Westport Minor in Possession ticket that says if you plead guilty by mail, then it will just be treated as a nolo contendere or no contest plea and you will not receive any DMV points.

Not quite!

If you read the fine print, however, the ticket says there are DMV “administrative sanctions” that can still be imposed—such as the suspension of your Connecticut driver’s license. So even though it seems like no big deal, if you don’t want your driver’s license suspended, then you should consult with a top Westport Connecticut criminal law firm to learn if and how you can avoid a conviction for Minor in Possession CGS 30-89 on your record.

Also, pleading guilty by mail will automatically result in a conviction which will show up on any motor vehicle background check, including employment background checks. With the job market as competitive as it is, you don’t want anything showing up on your background check that may lead to someone else being chosen for the job over you, so you should contact a top Westport criminal defense attorney today to ensure that this doesn’t happen.

Can My Car Insurance Premiums Go Up because of My Westport Connecticut Possession of Alcohol by a Minor Ticket?

Yes they can. Many Westport Connecticut teenagers and college students under 21 don’t really understand how car insurance works—specifically how polices are underwritten and how premium rates are calculated. These teenagers fail to appreciate that if they plead guilty by mail to their CGS 30-89 ticket for Possession of Alcohol by a Minor, the guilty plea will come up as a red flag to their car insurance carriers when it comes time to annually renew their policy. Carriers and underwriters can even look at these charges like a Westport Connecticut DUI / DWI. Most of the time, this will result in car insurance premiums sky-rocketing.

If you are thinking about pleading guilty by mail to your Westport ticket for Possession of Alcohol by a Minor just to avoid telling your parents, you should realize they will find out as soon as it comes time to renew your car insurance.

What If I Already Pleaded Guilty by Mail to my Westport Connecticut Possession of Alcohol by a Minor Ticket?

Don’t worry! If you already pleaded guilty by mail and want to reverse and fight your guilty plea to a Westport Connecticut Possession of Alcohol by a Minor 30-89 ticket, you still can!

The Connecticut court system allows you to reverse your guilty plea by mail in certain cases and still fight to get your Westport alcohol or marijuana possession ticket dismissed. This does not mean that it’s an automatic reversal, but if you’re within the statute of limitations period, have good grades, a good job, or a promising college future, then you should contact a top Westport criminal defense attorney today to try and reverse your guilty plea by mail and get your CGS 30-89 guilty plea by mail reversed and dismissed.

Penalties for Westport Possession of Alcohol by a Minor

Any top Westport Connecticut criminal defense attorney would agree that Possession of Alcohol by a Minor is NOT a crime. Possession of Alcohol by a Minor is an infraction, which means that it is not punishable by jail time.

But some of the non-jail penalties can still be very serious. You can be fined up to $500, your Connecticut driver’s license can be suspended, and a guilty plea can result in a conviction on your motor vehicle record for up to 7 years. All of the best Westport Connecticut criminal lawyers will tell you that to the average person’s eye, a conviction for anything on your record can easily be viewed as a conviction for a crime, especially when the conviction includes possession of alcohol or marijuana. If you want to avoid any confusion or potential employer prejudice regarding these penalties, then you should contact a top Westport criminal defense attorney today to help you handle your ticket.

Can My Driver’s License Get Suspended for Pleading Guilty to my Westport Connecticut Possession of Alcohol by a Minor Ticket?

Yes. Any top Westport criminal defense attorney can explain how a guilty plea to a CGS 30-89 Possession of Alcohol by a Minor ticket in Westport will result in a minimum 30 day suspension of your Connecticut driver’s license. If you are a minor and you had alcohol in your car, then this will result in a 60 day suspension of your Connecticut driver’s license. And if you don’t have your license yet, the Connecticut DMV will suspend your right to apply for your Connecticut driver’s license for 150 days. But remember: this can only happen if you plead guilty by mail to your Westport Connecticut Possession of Alcohol by a Minor Ticket, so you should contact a top Connecticut Minor in Possession criminal lawyer today to help you fight your ticket in court, even if you were technically guilty.

Can Parents Get in Trouble for Hosting Parties with Alcohol?

Whenever teenagers get in trouble with the police for Possession of Alcohol by a Minor, the police usually want to know how they got the alcohol. In many cases there is usually a parent, older brother or sister, or adult who assisted the teenagers in possessing and consuming the alcohol.

Westport police are cracking down big time against social hosting and providing alcohol to minors. In fact, serving or buying alcohol for teenagers has recently become a felony in Connecticut under the law of CGS 30-86 Providing or Distributing Alcohol to Minors. What many parents don’t realize is that they are not allowed to serve alcohol to minors, even if it is within the confines of their own home. An arrest for this felony charge under CGS 30-86 can interfere with the parents’ employment, mortgage applications, or international travel plans.

Westport Connecticut parents who are charged with CGS 30-86 now face up to a year in jail and serious civil lawsuits and liability, especially if they provided alcohol to a minor who subsequently injured others or property. So if you have been arrested for CGS 30-86, or for social hosting under 30-89a, then you should contact a Connecticut criminal lawyer today.

Contact the Law Offices of Mark Sherman Today

After reading all of the above, the decision of whether or not you should fight your Possession of Alcohol by a Minor ticket should be an easy one. Contact any of the experienced and aggressive criminal lawyers at Mark Sherman Law today to discuss how we can fight your ticket and attempt to get it ripped up quickly and cost-effectively. Give one of our lawyers a call today at (203) 358-4700 to get started.