Keg Parties Can Have Serious Consequences In New York State
Keg parties have long been a hallmark of college life and thought of largely as innocent fun. Not anymore. Police in New York State, who often work in concert with college universities, have been cracking down on college parties and ensuring that those who throw the parties face serious consequences.
Hosting a keg party can have several serious legal consequences, if any of the guests are under the age of 21. First, there are the potential criminal charges. If a person serves alcohol in New York State to a person under the age of 21, that person is guilty of Unlawfully Dealing with a Child in the First Degree in violation of Section 260.20 of the Penal Law. This charge is a class €A€ misdemeanor, which means that it has a maximum penalty of one year in jail. Now, it is unlikely that you will receive jail time if you are charged with this crime, but if you are convicted, you will have a permanent criminal record.
If you are charged with Unlawfully Dealing with a Child, you should contact a criminal defense attorney immediately. A good lawyer may be able to get the charged reduced to a non-criminal violation, which would ensure that you do not have a criminal record. The lawyer can also ensure that you do not serve jail time.
Unfortunately, if you a college student, the criminal charges you could receive for hosting a keg party is only part of the problem. Your school will likely be notified of the party and they will likely seek disciplinary action. The University at Albany, for example, generally suspends a student for an entire semester for hosting a keg party. This is an extremely serious punishment for several reasons. There is the obvious problem that you will now be a semester behind in school. Further, by the time the suspension is imposed you has most likely would have already paid for the semester. It is highly unlikely that the money will be reimbursed. Finally, the suspension will also go on the student's record.
Further, if one of your guests suffers from alcohol poisoning or if someone is injured for whatever reason, you could be charged with more serious criminal charges.
The point is that keg parties are no longer considered innocent fun or a joking matter. There are serious consequences to throwing these parties and you should think twice before doing so.
Criminal Law Firm Albany, NY
Hosting a keg party can have several serious legal consequences, if any of the guests are under the age of 21. First, there are the potential criminal charges. If a person serves alcohol in New York State to a person under the age of 21, that person is guilty of Unlawfully Dealing with a Child in the First Degree in violation of Section 260.20 of the Penal Law. This charge is a class €A€ misdemeanor, which means that it has a maximum penalty of one year in jail. Now, it is unlikely that you will receive jail time if you are charged with this crime, but if you are convicted, you will have a permanent criminal record.
If you are charged with Unlawfully Dealing with a Child, you should contact a criminal defense attorney immediately. A good lawyer may be able to get the charged reduced to a non-criminal violation, which would ensure that you do not have a criminal record. The lawyer can also ensure that you do not serve jail time.
Unfortunately, if you a college student, the criminal charges you could receive for hosting a keg party is only part of the problem. Your school will likely be notified of the party and they will likely seek disciplinary action. The University at Albany, for example, generally suspends a student for an entire semester for hosting a keg party. This is an extremely serious punishment for several reasons. There is the obvious problem that you will now be a semester behind in school. Further, by the time the suspension is imposed you has most likely would have already paid for the semester. It is highly unlikely that the money will be reimbursed. Finally, the suspension will also go on the student's record.
Further, if one of your guests suffers from alcohol poisoning or if someone is injured for whatever reason, you could be charged with more serious criminal charges.
The point is that keg parties are no longer considered innocent fun or a joking matter. There are serious consequences to throwing these parties and you should think twice before doing so.
Criminal Law Firm Albany, NY
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