Drinking alcohol under the age of 21, known as “underage alcohol consumption”, “underage alcohol possession”, “prohibition”, “underage intoxication”  is the most common criminal charge for young people in Ohio.  Law enforcement has little tolerance for underage drinking.  If you are  caught possessing or consuming alcohol in public, expect the law to be enforced, even on college campuses.  In Ohio, it is classified as a first degree misdemeanor with the potential sentence for an underage drinking conviction that may include a potential jail term up to six months, a fine up to $1,000 plus court costs, alcohol counseling, community service, and probation.  In addition, a conviction is a permanent criminal record that may follow you for the rest of your life – unless you hire the best criminal defense attorney in Ohio.  

As a criminal defense attorney, I will first and foremost be dedicated to providing you with unmatched representation. I will listen, ask questions, dig for details, do all the legal research and know your case thoroughly.  I am committed to providing you with the best defense possible even under the most challenging of circumstances. There are a few strategies I would use to defend anyone charged with underage drinking in Ohio:

  1. I will see if there is an opportunity for a diversion program. Pretrial diversion would allow, if qualified, my client to be placed under probation-like supervision for a period of up to one year. If completed successfully, the criminal charges are dismissed and the records sealed.  This would avoid the stigma and disabilities a felony conviction would have.  If the program is not completed, it would result in criminal prosecution.
  2. I will obtain the evidence that the Prosecutor plans to use and I will evaluate the strength of it and put together defenses to the charge. We would be able to plead “not guilty” and go through the court process and find the best possible outcome for underage drinking charges.

I have considerable experience defending high school and college students accused of underage drinking.  I am well aware that law enforcement devotes substantial time and resources prosecuting individuals facing underage drinking in an effort to deter future offenses and will put together an aggressive defense strategy to avoid serious charges.

The Bottom Line:  An isolated incident due to failure of good judgement on your part has the ability to become a criminal case with momentous consequences.  I will work to keep a conviction off your record.  Protect your future.  Put my number in your phone and call me at any time:  513-260-2099