Drinking seems to be synonymous with summer. During the summer, our law office sees many charges arise because of excess drinking. College graduation is just around the corner for the University of Northern Colorado at the Greeley campus in Weld County, and students are planning to attend rowdy graduation parties in celebration of summer. Most college graduates are over 21, but often times their underage classmates and friends that come to these alcohol fueled parties might not be. If an adult (someone over 21 years of age) provides, buys, or gives alcohol to a juvenile (a minor under 18 years of age), they will be charged with Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor, a felony crime in Hudson, Berthoud, and Erie. The best way to celebrate four years of hard work is not with a Contributing to the Delinquency of a Juvenile Charge.
Possible charges associated with drinking do not stop there. The chance of getting arrested as a Minor in Possession of Alcohol or for a DUI / DWAI rise during the summer months. People also may not realize that if a parent provides their underage child with alcohol, and that child gets obscenely drunk, the parent may be charged with child abuse and Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor. Sexual Assault or Sexual Assault on a Child charges also rise as more alcohol is consumed.
As a parent, be very cautious of what your child is doing and the circumstances where you choose to let them drink. Do not provide alcohol to their underage friends if you decide to let them drink for that will result in Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor charges. Adults should never drink and drive if they have had too much to drink.
If police approach you with a Minor in Possession of Alcohol (MIP) or Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor charge, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and contact the experienced criminal defense attorneys at the O’Malley Law Office at 970-616-6009. Together, we can protect your future.