The law is extremely harsh on driving under the influence, whether committed by adults or minors. However, since teenagers aren't allowed to drink alcohol, the circumstances of their drinking usually lead to other charges in addition to DUI. Here are examples of other charges your kid may face if they have been arrested for DUI:

Minor In Possession of Alcohol

Minors aren't just allowed to drink alcohol; even mere possession is a crime. In fact, minors can be charged with alcohol possession even if they aren't intoxicated. Therefore, if your teenager still had some alcohol on their person or car, then they will likely to face this additional charge. This is a real possibility because teenagers like drinking in cars, especially if they are in groups. This is probably because they can't drink in regular pubs. 

Purchase of Alcohol

Minors can get alcohol in different ways. For example, they can steal from adults, they can get it from other people, or they can buy it using fake IDs or from uncaring adults. This is one of the areas in which the law punishes both offenders; the adult will be charged with giving alcohol to a minor while the minor will be charged with buying or obtaining alcohol.

Possession of Fake IDs

As hinted above, minors aren't allowed to buy alcohol. In fact, alcohol vendors are required to ascertain a person's age (especially if they look young) before selling alcohol to them, for example, by asking for proof of age (such as driver's license). Unfortunately, some teenagers circumvent these laws by using fake IDs to buy alcohol. If this is how your teenager did, then they will be facing a separate charge of false identification.

Child Endangerment

Lastly, your teenager may also be charged with child endangerment if they had other passengers at the time of the DUI arrest. Child endangerment laws are meant to protect children since kids aren't able to protect themselves as well as adults. For example, an adult may have the presence of mind to refuse to be a passenger to a drunk driver. Adults may also have alternative means of transportation. Therefore, if an intoxicated driver carries minor passengers (in most cases those under the age of 16), they can be charged with child endangerment; at the very least they will face aggravated DUI charges.

Therefore, if your teenager has been arrested for DUI, know that they are likely to deal with other charges other than DUI. This means you need an experienced attorney who can defend all these charges and not just the DUI. For more information, contact a firm like Chichester Law Office.

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