Lawrence County Underage Drinking Case Dismissed
Young people often make mistakes under peer pressure. These youthful mistakes can sometimes lead to criminal actions that bring on harsh penalties like a permanent criminal record and steep fines. If your child’s future is on the line because of a mistake or lapse in judgement, call the Pittsburgh juvenile crime attorneys of Worgul, Sarna & Ness, Criminal Defense Attorneys, LLC right away.
Recently, a group of underage individuals were driving in Lawrence County when they were pulled over by the police. After three bags containing alcohol were found in the vehicle, all of the occupants were charged with underage drinking. Knowing the consequences this offense could have, one of the passenger’s parents reached out to attorney Samir Sarna for help.
During their first court appearance, attorney Sarna discovered that the other four individuals in the vehicle had been offered a program in which they’d have to perform community service and a driver’s license suspension. If they satisfied all these aspects, they could have the offense changed from an underage citation to disorderly conduct, which is less severe, but still a conviction.
Choosing to fight the citation in hopes of a better outcome, attorney Sarna took the client’s charge to a summary hearing. Ultimately, he built his client’s defense around her constructive possession of the alcohol. By claiming that she merely in the presence of alcohol, rather than in physical possession of it, attorney Sarna obtained a not guilty verdict from the judge. This spared his young client from any mark against her criminal record.
The positive outcome led the parent of another passenger in the car in question to contact Worgul, Sarna & Ness, Criminal Defense Attorneys, LLC for help with her child’s situation. Attorney Sarna called the officer from the original stop and after negotiating on his new client’s behalf, the officer withdrew the underage drinking citation in place of a summary disorderly charge without participating in the original program offered.
The outcome of an individual case depends on a variety of factors unique to that case. Case results do not guarantee or predict a similar result in any similar or future case.