Legal Question in Criminal Law in Virginia

I was charged with "possession of alcohol by person under 21" 36 CFR 2.35(a)(2)(ii) in Virginia. I am 18 years old and I was on a federal park at the time and I was wondering if it is a good idea if I go to court and try to fight the charge to get it dropped or if I should just pay the fine? Also I am an intern for a government contractor and I was wondering if this will affect my future job employment or if it will stay on my record and for how long? Will this go on my parents insurance? I have no priors. How long will it go on my record and what determines the length? Sorry for all the questions but im new to this whole thing! Thanks for the help! I really appreciate it!


Asked on 7/09/10, 1:58 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Erin Ranney Erin L. T. Ranney, PLLC

There are a lot of options with how you can proceed with the case. The statute will require you to do community service, have your license suspended, and pay a mandatory fine if you plead guilty. An attorney may be able to aid you in trying to negotiate a more favorable outcome. When/if you were found guilty, it is on your record for life. Virginia does not have a provision that allows offenses to be eliminated after a certain amount of time. As for your insurance, that is up to the insurance company. Any license suspension would be reported to the insurance company, and how they treat that is up to them.

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Answered on 7/21/10, 7:55 am


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