Close
Updated:

Petition Gives First Time Teen Offenders a Second Chance

Teen drinking is an escalating problem in our society, according to a New York Criminal Lawyer. The age that children routinely try alcohol has lowered in recent years. Studies show that teens start experimenting with alcohol as early as 13 in many cases, and this sets them up for a bad habit that can devastate them in the future. 

Fines and penalties for first offenses can stay on a teens permanent record and prohibit them from getting into college and getting jobs in the future. Are laws too strict when it comes to a first offense for a minor in possession? The NYC Criminal Lawyer suggests that scaring the teens straight right from the beginning might not be the answer to all of the problems associated with drinking as a minor. 

One answer is a petition in Boulder, Colorado to enable those teens who are charged with a minor in possession to be able to have their records sealed after one year, which would mean that they are not immediately blacklisted as an adult for something that they did when they were 14, claims the New York Criminal Lawyer.

Advocates of this petition agree that the courts should not punish someone eternally for making their first mistake, but that we should certainly make sure that once the first offense has happened an immediate course of actions should be taken. The NY City Criminal Lawyer explained that teens who are required to undergo teen drinking classes and community service as punishment for their mistake often come out of the experience with a greater awareness. 

Mistakes come with consequences, but they do not have to wreck your life.

The Office of Stephen Bilkis and Associates can offer you support and guidance as well as a free consultation when you contact us at 1-800-NY-NY-LAW. We have offices in New York City, including Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Staten Island and The Bronx and in Nassau County, Suffolk County and Westchester County. If you have been charged with a crime and do not know where to turn, contact a reputable New York Criminal Attorney today. The fact is that if you do not know your rights, you are more likely to be flushed through the system without having a chance to defend yourself. A New York Criminal Attorney can help.

Contact Us