Source: https://www.vaduilawyer.com/dwi-dui-manual/chapter-13-other-alcohol-drug-offenses/underage-possession-of-alcohol/
Timestamp: 2019-04-23 16:16:18+00:00

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How can I be charged with underage possession of alcohol when I didn’t have any alcohol on me?
The law in Virginia makes it illegal for people under 21 to “consume, purchase, possess, or attempt to consume, purchase or possess” alcohol. So you don’t have to have alcohol “with” or “on” you as long as it is “in” you.
However, charging underage drinkers with possession for having alcohol in their blood does raise some unique legal defenses. The law calls it “venue” – or – what court has the jurisdiction to try you?
The Code outlines where you may be tried: “Such person may be prosecuted either in the county or city in which the alcohol was possessed or consumed, or in the county or city in which the person exhibits evidence of physical indicia of consumption of alcohol.” Virginia Code § 4.1-305(A). The problem is that officers don’t usually ask where you purchased or consumed the alcohol. They just know where they’ve stopped you. If we exclude the preliminary breath test, we can usually challenge venue.
I blew into a breathalyzer. I didn’t think they could use the results in court. Can they?
Maybe. The Code of Virginia says that the results of a preliminary breath test cannot be used by the prosecution for DUI or “baby DUI.” Virginia Code § 18.2-267. There is no exemption for underage possession of alcohol. The Attorney General of Virginia, in a 2013 opinion, confirmed that a preliminary breath test can be used to prosecute underage possession.
This does not mean that a positive preliminary breath test always equates to conviction. Even the Attorney General agrees that a “proper foundation” for the breath test device must be established. Many officers have never been challenged to lay a foundation.
At Tillotson & Martin, we train other attorneys how to beat breath tests. The preliminary breath tests use the same fuel cell technology as the EC/IR II breath test device. The same defenses can be used.
Stop, search, seizure, and Miranda issues also lead to common defenses.
How can they prove underage possession if they never gave me a breath test?
The law criminalizes underage consuming, possessing and purchasing. If you told the officer you drank alcohol earlier – that can be enough. If the officer testifies that you had signs of intoxication – you slurred, swayed, had red glassy bloodshot eyes, and smelled of alcohol – that may be enough.
Why are they treating me like I have a DWI – I just drank a beer?
The penalties for DWI are very similar to underage possession of alcohol penalties for adults. Both are class 1 misdemeanors with maximums of 1 year in jail and a $2500 fine. The minimum mandatory fine is twice that of a DWI ($500 versus $250 for a DWI) though you can do 50 hours of community service instead.
The license suspension is for 6 months to 1 year even if there was no vehicle involved. A referral to ASAP (the Alcohol Safety Action Program) is up to the judge.
There is no way to expunge a conviction in Virginia. Once a misdemeanor is on your record, it will always be on your record. Whenever you apply for a job or school, you will have to check the box that you have a criminal conviction.
Is there a first offender program for underage possession?
What will happen if I take the first offender program?
3) will put you on probation; typically for 6 months to a year.
IF you finish probation successfully, the underaged possession charge will be dismissed. If you mess up, the judge can enter a guilty verdict.
Do I have to plead guilty to get first offender?
Why should I hire an attorney if I can just get first offender?
Even with a dismissal under first offender, you will never be able to expunge the arrest for underage consumption or possession of alcohol off your record. An “actual finding of innocence” is required to expunge your record. The arrest can follow you through schooling and into your career.
Where will I be tried?
If you are a minor, your trial will take place in juvenile court. For young adults who are 18, 19, or 20 you will be tried in general district court.
C. Any person found guilty of a violation of this section shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor; and upon conviction, (i) such person shall be ordered to pay a mandatory minimum fine of $500 or ordered to perform a mandatory minimum of 50 hours of community service as a condition of probation supervision and (ii) the license to operate a motor vehicle in the Commonwealth of any such person age 18 or older shall be suspended for a period of not less than six months and not more than one year; the license to operate a motor vehicle in the Commonwealth of any juvenile shall be handled in accordance with the provisions of § 16.1-278.9. The court, in its discretion and upon a demonstration of hardship, may authorize an adult convicted of a violation of this section the use of a restricted permit to operate a motor vehicle in accordance with the provisions of subsection E of § 18.2-271.1 or when referred to a local community-based probation services agency established pursuant to Article 9 (§ 9.1-173 et seq.) of Chapter 1 of Title 9.1. During the period of license suspension, the court may require an adult who is issued a restricted permit under the provisions of this subsection to be (a) monitored by an alcohol safety action program, or (b) supervised by a local community-based probation services agency established pursuant to Article 9 (§ 9.1-173 et seq.) of Chapter 1 of Title 9.1, if one has been established for the locality. The alcohol safety action program or local community-based probation services agency shall report to the court any violation of the terms of the restricted permit, the required alcohol safety action program monitoring or local community-based probation services and any condition related thereto or any failure to remain alcohol-free during the suspension period.
D. Any alcoholic beverage purchased or possessed in violation of this section shall be deemed contraband and forfeited to the Commonwealth in accordance with § 4.1-338.
E. Any retail licensee who in good faith promptly notifies the Board or any state or local law-enforcement agency of a violation or suspected violation of this section shall be accorded immunity from an administrative penalty for a violation of § 4.1-304.
F. When any adult who has not previously been convicted of underaged consumption, purchase or possession of alcoholic beverages in Virginia or any other state or the United States is before the court, the court may, upon entry of a plea of guilty or not guilty, if the facts found by the court would justify a finding of guilt of a violation of subsection A, without entering a judgment of guilt and with the consent of the accused, defer further proceedings and place him on probation subject to appropriate conditions. Such conditions may include the imposition of the license suspension and restricted license provisions in subsection C. However, in all such deferred proceedings, the court shall require the accused to enter a treatment or education program or both, if available, that in the opinion of the court best suits the needs of the accused. If the accused is placed on local community-based probation, the program or services shall be located in any of the judicial districts served by the local community-based probation services agency or in any judicial district ordered by the court when the placement is with an alcohol safety action program. The services shall be provided by (i) a program licensed by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, (ii) certified by the Commission on VASAP, or (iii) by a program or services made available through a community-based probation services agency established pursuant to Article 9 (§ 9.1-173 et seq.) of Chapter 1 of Title 9.1, if one has been established for the locality. When an offender is ordered to a local community-based probation services rather than the alcohol safety action program, the local community-based probation services agency shall be responsible for providing for services or referring the offender to education or treatment services as a condition of probation.
Upon violation of a condition, the court may enter an adjudication of guilt and proceed as otherwise provided. Upon fulfillment of the conditions, the court shall discharge the person and dismiss the proceedings against him without an adjudication of guilt. A discharge and dismissal hereunder shall be treated as a conviction for the purpose of applying this section in any subsequent proceedings.
When any juvenile is found to have committed a violation of subsection A, the disposition of the case shall be handled according to the provisions of Article 9 (§ 16.1-278 et seq.) of Chapter 11 of Title 16.1.
“Alcohol” means the product known as ethyl or grain alcohol obtained by distillation of any fermented liquor, rectified either once or more often, whatever the origin, and shall include synthetic ethyl alcohol, but shall not include methyl alcohol and alcohol completely denatured in accordance with formulas approved by the government of the United States.
“Alcoholic beverages” includes alcohol, spirits, wine, and beer, and any one or more of such varieties containing one-half of one percent or more of alcohol by volume, including mixed alcoholic beverages, and every liquid or solid, patented or not, containing alcohol, spirits, wine, or beer and capable of being consumed by a human being. Any liquid or solid containing more than one of the four varieties shall be considered as belonging to that variety which has the higher percentage of alcohol, however obtained, according to the order in which they are set forth in this definition; except that beer may be manufactured to include flavoring materials and other nonbeverage ingredients containing alcohol, as long as no more than 49 percent of the overall alcohol content of the finished product is derived from the addition of flavors and other nonbeverage ingredients containing alcohol for products with an alcohol content of no more than six percent by volume; or, in the case of products with an alcohol content of more than six percent by volume, as long as no more than one and one-half percent of the volume of the finished product consists of alcohol derived from added flavors and other nonbeverage ingredients containing alcohol.
A. If a court has found facts which would justify a finding that a child at least 13 years of age at the time of the offense is delinquent and such finding involves (i) a violation of § 18.2-266 or of a similar ordinance of any county, city or town, (ii) a refusal to take a blood or breath test in violation of § 18.2-268.2, (iii) a felony violation of § 18.2-248, 18.2-248.1 or 18.2-250, (iv) a misdemeanor violation of § 18.2-248, 18.2-248.1, or 18.2-250 or a violation of § 18.2-250.1, (v) the unlawful purchase, possession or consumption of alcohol in violation of § 4.1-305 or the unlawful drinking or possession of alcoholic beverages in or on public school grounds in violation of § 4.1-309, (vi) public intoxication in violation of § 18.2-388 or a similar ordinance of a county, city or town, (vii) the unlawful use or possession of a handgun or possession of a “streetsweeper” as defined below, or (viii) a violation of § 18.2-83, the court shall order, in addition to any other penalty that it may impose as provided by law for the offense, that the child be denied a driver’s license. In addition to any other penalty authorized by this section, if the offense involves a violation designated under clause (i) and the child was transporting a person 17 years of age or younger, the court shall impose the additional fine and order community service as provided in § 18.2-270. If the offense involves a violation designated under clause (i), (ii), (iii) or (viii), the denial of a driver’s license shall be for a period of one year or until the juvenile reaches the age of 17, whichever is longer, for a first such offense or for a period of one year or until the juvenile reaches the age of 18, whichever is longer, for a second or subsequent such offense. If the offense involves a violation designated under clause (iv), (v) or (vi) the denial of driving privileges shall be for a period of six months unless the offense is committed by a child under the age of 16 years and three months, in which case the child’s ability to apply for a driver’s license shall be delayed for a period of six months following the date he reaches the age of 16 and three months. If the offense involves a first violation designated under clause (v) or (vi), the court shall impose the license sanction and may enter a judgment of guilt or, without entering a judgment of guilt, may defer disposition of the delinquency charge until such time as the court disposes of the case pursuant to subsection F of this section. If the offense involves a violation designated under clause (iii) or (iv), the court shall impose the license sanction and shall dispose of the delinquency charge pursuant to the provisions of this chapter or § 18.2-251. If the offense involves a violation designated under clause (vii), the denial of driving privileges shall be for a period of not less than 30 days, except when the offense involves possession of a concealed handgun or a striker 12, commonly called a “streetsweeper,” or any semi-automatic folding stock shotgun of like kind with a spring tension drum magazine capable of holding 12 shotgun shells, in which case the denial of driving privileges shall be for a period of two years unless the offense is committed by a child under the age of 16 years and three months, in which event the child’s ability to apply for a driver’s license shall be delayed for a period of two years following the date he reaches the age of 16 and three months.
A1. If a court finds that a child at least 13 years of age has failed to comply with school attendance and meeting requirements as provided in § 22.1-258, the court shall order the denial of the child’s driving privileges for a period of not less than 30 days. If such failure to comply involves a child under the age of 16 years and three months, the child’s ability to apply for a driver’s license shall be delayed for a period of not less than 30 days following the date he reaches the age of 16 and three months.
If the court finds a second or subsequent such offense, it may order the denial of a driver’s license for a period of one year or until the juvenile reaches the age of 18, whichever is longer, or delay the child’s ability to apply for a driver’s license for a period of one year following the date he reaches the age of 16 and three months, as may be appropriate.
B. Any child who has a driver’s license at the time of the offense or at the time of the court’s finding as provided in subsection A1 shall be ordered to surrender his driver’s license, which shall be held in the physical custody of the court during any period of license denial.
C. The court shall report any order issued under this section to the Department of Motor Vehicles, which shall preserve a record thereof. The report and the record shall include a statement as to whether the child was represented by or waived counsel or whether the order was issued pursuant to subsection A1 of this section. Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 12 (§ 16.1-299 et seq.) of this chapter or the provisions of Title 46.2, this record shall be available only to all law-enforcement officers, attorneys for the Commonwealth and courts. No other record of the proceeding shall be forwarded to the Department of Motor Vehicles unless the proceeding results in an adjudication of guilt pursuant to subsection F.
The Department of Motor Vehicles shall refuse to issue a driver’s license to any child denied a driver’s license until such time as is stipulated in the court order or until notification by the court of withdrawal of the order of denial under subsection E.
D. If the finding as to the child involves a violation designated under clause (i), (ii), (iii) or (vi) of subsection A, the child may be referred to a certified alcohol safety action program in accordance with § 18.2-271.1 upon such terms and conditions as the court may set forth. If the finding as to such child involves a violation designated under clause (iii), (iv), (v), (vii) or (viii) of subsection A, such child may be referred to appropriate rehabilitative or educational services upon such terms and conditions as the court may set forth.
The court, in its discretion and upon a demonstration of hardship, may authorize the use of a restricted permit to operate a motor vehicle by any child who has a driver’s license at the time of the offense or at the time of the court’s finding as provided in subsection A1 for any of the purposes set forth in subsection E of § 18.2-271.1 or for travel to and from school, except that no restricted license shall be issued for travel to and from home and school when school-provided transportation is available and no restricted license shall be issued if the finding as to such child involves a violation designated under clause (iii) or (iv) of subsection A, or if it involves a second or subsequent violation of any offense designated in subsection A or a second finding by the court of failure to comply with school attendance and meeting requirements as provided in subsection A1. The issuance of the restricted permit shall be set forth within the court order, a copy of which shall be provided to the child, and shall specifically enumerate the restrictions imposed and contain such information regarding the child as is reasonably necessary to identify him. The child may operate a motor vehicle under the court order in accordance with its terms. Any child who operates a motor vehicle in violation of any restrictions imposed pursuant to this section shall be guilty of a violation of § 46.2-301.
E. Upon petition made at least 90 days after issuance of the order, the court may review and withdraw any order of denial of a driver’s license if for a first such offense or finding as provided in subsection A1. For a second or subsequent such offense or finding, the order may not be reviewed and withdrawn until one year after its issuance.
F. If the finding as to such child involves a first violation designated under clause (vii) of subsection A, upon fulfillment of the terms and conditions prescribed by the court and after the child’s driver’s license has been restored, the court shall or, in the event the violation resulted in the injury or death of any person or if the finding involves a violation designated under clause (i), (ii), (v), or (vi) of subsection A, may discharge the child and dismiss the proceedings against him. Discharge and dismissal under these provisions shall be without an adjudication of guilt but a record of the proceeding shall be retained for the purpose of applying this section in subsequent proceedings. Failure of the child to fulfill such terms and conditions shall result in an adjudication of guilt. If the finding as to such child involves a violation designated under clause (iii) or (iv) of subsection A, the charge shall not be dismissed pursuant to this subsection but shall be disposed of pursuant to the provisions of this chapter or § 18.2-251. If the finding as to such child involves a second violation under clause (v), (vi) or (vii) of subsection A, the charge shall not be dismissed pursuant to this subsection but shall be disposed of under § 16.1-278.8.

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