Not just in Virginia, but in all US states, underage drinking is illegal. If police officers catch a minor drinking in Virginia, they will need to pay fines of up to $2,500, serve up to 50 hours of community service, get their driving privileges taken away for 180 days to a year, serve up to one year in jail, and go to court required substance abuse counseling. If you are under the legal drinking age of 21, the police officers will charge you with Class 1 misdemeanor.
Just because you are underage, do not think you will get off lightly. The verdict the court gives at the end of the DUI hearing depends on several factors of the case. In fact, courts may even decide to use their authority to give maximum penalties, as a lesson for minors not to repeat the same mistake again. If you are a parent a minor who has been caught drinking, you should hire a DUI attorney.
Will Underage Drinking Cost Your Child Their Driving Privileges?
Whether or not your child loses their driving privileges for underage drinking depends solely on the circumstances surrounding their case. The DWI attorney you have hired to represent your child in court can better guide you on the legalities and the possible conclusions of the case. In the event the court convicts your child for underage drinking, their license will be taken away from them for 6 months and they will have to pay a minimum fine of $500.
If the court convicts an adult for underage possession of alcohol may get their restricted driving privileges where they will be only allowed to drive their car to and from work. However, this is not always the case and for this reason, adults on trial for underage possession of alcohol should consider hiring a DUI attorney to represent them in court.
Does Virginia Have First Time DUI Offender Programs for Underage Drinking?
Yes, Virginia does have some first-time offender programs for underage drinking for both minors and adults under the age of 21 accused of having alcohol on them. The court may order minors with no prior DUI convictions in and out of the state facing charges for underage drinking to enroll in a first offender program.
The court may also order the accused to participate in a community-based counseling program to rehabilitate themselves. Once they have successfully completed the program, they may have their record discharged. However, any underage person caught for possession of alcohol should not automatically assume the court will ask them to enroll these programs and have a clean record.
It is important for minors caught drinking or possessing alcohol to hire a professional DUI lawyer to defend them in court and get them a good plea deal.
