The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
The Guiding Principles and New Rules document is now in effect.
So, I'm Fucking Retarded (Furnishing Charge)
Kaputa
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So, like many people here, I'm a college student (University of Maine in Orono), and like many college students, I occasionally engage in recreational drug use. On my birthday, I invited my two best friends of ten years over as well as a few people in my hall, and I paid an older dude in my programming class to pick up a few handles of vodka. The night was fantastic until the RAs knocked, and I, thinking it was the return of a friend who had gone to the bathroom, foolishly opened the door for them. They saw shot glasses and called the campus police, who showed up a few minutes later.
This is where I really fucked up. The correct thing to do here would have been to refuse to tell the fuckers anything, but the amount of hard liquor in me wasn't conducive to clear thought. He asked who bought the alcohol for us, and I refused to tell him, so he asked who paid the guy, and I (this is the part I'm still kicking myself over) truthfully told them that I did. They charged all three of us with illegal possession by a minor, and charged me with furnishing alcohol for minors, which is a class D crime which goes on my record in Maine.
I have a court date on the 17th and about $800 in fines (about $200 for the IPAM and $600 for the furnishing charge). I called my mom to talk to her about it today, and she thinks I should get a lawyer and fight the furnishing charge. I don't like this idea, because it would probably end up costing more than the goddamn fines in the first place, and I know that I can get out of the IPAM if I just plead guilty to the furnishing, thus reducing my fines to $600. Aside from the fines (which I can afford without issue) my only penalty is a few hours of community service (which is fine, since I was planning on organizing a riverbank cleaning escapade anyway).
My mother believes that a criminal charge, even a Class D misdemeanor, will drastically reduce my employment opportunities after I get out of college. How true is this? Is it worth fighting the charge in court? And given what I told the police officers, is there even any chance of winning the case? I don't want to pay a shitton of money for a lawyer just to end up with the same charge on my record.
What say you, H/A? I'm gonna go on a long walk, since it's snowing hard and talking to my mom/typing this post has put me in an awful mood. I don't know how many of you have dealt with similar issues, but any advice is appreciated.
This is where I really fucked up. The correct thing to do here would have been to refuse to tell the fuckers anything, but the amount of hard liquor in me wasn't conducive to clear thought. He asked who bought the alcohol for us, and I refused to tell him, so he asked who paid the guy, and I (this is the part I'm still kicking myself over) truthfully told them that I did. They charged all three of us with illegal possession by a minor, and charged me with furnishing alcohol for minors, which is a class D crime which goes on my record in Maine.
I have a court date on the 17th and about $800 in fines (about $200 for the IPAM and $600 for the furnishing charge). I called my mom to talk to her about it today, and she thinks I should get a lawyer and fight the furnishing charge. I don't like this idea, because it would probably end up costing more than the goddamn fines in the first place, and I know that I can get out of the IPAM if I just plead guilty to the furnishing, thus reducing my fines to $600. Aside from the fines (which I can afford without issue) my only penalty is a few hours of community service (which is fine, since I was planning on organizing a riverbank cleaning escapade anyway).
My mother believes that a criminal charge, even a Class D misdemeanor, will drastically reduce my employment opportunities after I get out of college. How true is this? Is it worth fighting the charge in court? And given what I told the police officers, is there even any chance of winning the case? I don't want to pay a shitton of money for a lawyer just to end up with the same charge on my record.
What say you, H/A? I'm gonna go on a long walk, since it's snowing hard and talking to my mom/typing this post has put me in an awful mood. I don't know how many of you have dealt with similar issues, but any advice is appreciated.
Kaputa on
0
Posts
Not all employers check your criminal record, but some do. If you're up against someone who doesn't have a criminal record, who do you think is going to get hired?
Most employers will check criminal record. Though it helps to be up front about something like this, and then follow it up by saying, "I learned from my mistakes."
I've had a school teacher who committed a non-violent felony. So that should tell you something.
we also talk about other random shit and clown upon each other
It's worth consulting with an attorney, even if you wind up not retaining them for the trial. Here at least, misdemeanor possession and furnishing cases often just get thrown into diversion without every going to trial, or wiped out. Especially if this is your first such infraction, your best bet might be to throw yourself on the court's mercy and hope to wind up in a program like that.
edit: also note that in these types of cases, simply showing up with counsel will often cause the court to give you a large portion of what you want. It might not wind up saving you much money, but it's not cost effective for them to actually fight it out over misdemeanor furnishing
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
That depends largely on your state/province/whatever. I'm sure in most places, having a criminal charge will basically prohibit you from those types of jobs.
I know here you need to send in a police check on a regular basis.
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
All that said, this is a huge reason why the US is idiotic in its laws... you are legally an adult at 18 and can have a criminal record but you're not "allowed" to drink until you're 21? Ha! The entire rest of the world laughs. (But in this case, sorry, its a sucky deal for you
PSN - sumowot
That's why you bring a lawyer. His job is to make the judge cry tears of blood, at which point he's legally obligated to let you off.
2) This is why having RAs police alcohol is retarded. College kids are going to drink regardless, and when someone gets in serious trouble you want people getting the RAs and calling EMS rather than just doing nothing and hoping for the best because they are afraid of charges. I was an RA in college and we explicitly told the kids that we were there for help only for just that reason. Hell, our only real rule was "don't drink (or have sex) WITH your kids." The rest of the freshmen were fair game :winky:
And do what?
That's up to the OP.
I'm going to assume that a bunch of dumb, drunk, 18 year olds were probably being loud and attracted the attention of the R.A. that way. Call me crazy...
Probably. Doesn't make the RA (or school policies, whichever the case may be) less idiotic.
"Knock off the fucking noise, or you're in the shit" = perfectly reasonable RA.
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
Bunch of drunk children with booze everywhere and the R.A. is an idiot? It's the R.A.'s job to police and report that sort of thing. The OP was the idiot for throwing a party with booze in his dorm. There are consequences which I'm sure were outlined somewhere that the OP chose to ignore. Lesson learned.
It's the RA's job to be a damn nuisance to legal adults (not children) that are renting a living space. most RA's combine the worst aspects of narc, hall monitor, and motivational speaker. It's a college, not hogwarts, and students are grown ass people who should be able to have a drink without getting hassled, plain and simple. The bizarre double standard where I was treated like an adult if it was of greater detriment too me or a child if it was greater detriment to me was among my least favorite facets of college.
I host a podcast about movies.
Never lived in a dorm, but if something happened during said drinking times, and it came out that the RA knew but didn't do anything, wouldn't he be in heaps of trouble with the college?
Although yes, there is a weird issue of not being treated like an adult in college. But having a loud party involving alcohol on campus while both under the age and with others under the age is not an instance of this.
Realistically, if I had just not said anything to the police when they showed up, how would that have gone down? The worst part about this is the feeling that how I handled the getting in trouble portion of the night was idiotic.
I know you were drunk, but you don''t have to say anything to the police. Don't even lie and say "no I didn't buy it" because lying will bite you in the ass hard, just remain silent.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeyIvq7Z9SA&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LL0l8b4-Okw&feature=PlayList&p=E7270D8F49760BCC&index=0
There are a lot of videos here on how to deal with cops. Always be polite and respectful, and if you think your rights are being violated just document as much as possible without appearing confrontational. It is possible that the RA is empowered by the school to allow officers entry into your dorm room without probable cause.
The other thing is a misdemeanor isn't that big of a deal. We hit a kid a few weeks back with furnishing and he was horrified. The cops all explained to him that it won't destroy his future as much as he thinks it is. As long as you are honest and up front, people are going to understand. Especially with alcohol charges in college. That shit is normal, we've all been there. My advice to all the kids we've hit with charge during underage parties is the same: It's gonna be ok, stay away from alcohol while on campus, party off campus and be honest during interviews.
You'll be fine.
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
Agreed. It certainly isn't as serious as a drug charge or assault, but it's still a mark on your record. It's like being fired from your previous job. You can sit there and explain what happened, and the employer may understand and not care, but a lot of the time the employer won't even give you the chance to explain.
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
Also, the OP should keep in mind that practically the only person in here telling him he doesn't need a lawyer is a cop. Cops typically tell people they don't need a lawyer, especially if they really need a lawyer.
You don't need a lawyer, and the state greatly appreciates your donat--er, fine.
Jesus dude. I know you are anti-cop and all but don't be a fucking dick. Of course laws vary state to state. I am saying, in general, a misdemeanor isn't as big of a deal as people freak out about. Will it make him less desirable then someone who doesn't have it? Sure. But not by a massive fuckton that people seem to think. It's not the black mark of death or anything.
Lawyers are going to be fucking expensive but if the OP wants to, go ahead. Usually, if you are a first-time offenders, judges go pretty lenient (if they are halfway decent). I don't know why people think that cops see fines as MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF MONEY TO US because it isn't.
All I am advising is that it is going to be ok and to take a few breaths. It could have been a lot worse! It's not the end of the world.
The really retarded thing is that you were drinking to that extent with friends loudly in your college dorm on what is most likely a dry campus. It's not so much how you handled the situation, but that you put yourself in it in the first place.
You did wrong, you got caught. Next time don't do wrong. Or if you do, do it someplace less ridiculously public where the rules against it are crystal clear.