Bryan Law Blog

Underage drinking charges in Texas can have a serious impact on the life of a young person. Underage drinking charges can threaten the young person's future, education and employment opportunities. Underage drinking, minor in possession of alcohol, underage drunk driving or drug possession charges are all serious charges for a young person to face, which is why they should be familiar with their criminal defense rights and options.

There are potentially serious consequences and charges associated with underage drinking; the purchase or attempt to purchase alcohol by individuals under the age of 21; or the possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages by those under 21, including a minor intoxicated in public. Potential consequences include a Class C misdemeanor charge; a fine up to $500; up to 40 hours of community service; loss of driver's license up to 180 days; possible denial of a driver's license, if one has not already been obtained; and mandatory alcohol awareness class.

Anytime you find yourself facing charges for driving under the influence it is a very serious and stressful situation. But, what if you are charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, but you aren't old enough to legally consume alcohol? This is a whole different ball game. There are often very serious penalties and lasting consequences for an underage DUI charge.

In many cases involving DUI charges you will often here talk about the legal limit, blood alcohol content and other evidence that may be used to prove these charges. The thing about an underage DUI is that it involves a whole different set of legal standards. In fact, maybe you only had one drink and you were actually under the legal limit for a DUI, but where you are also under the legal age this doesn't matter.

Imagine the familiar scene from so many television cop shows: the police come knocking at your door with a search warrant. They enter your home and begin searching through all of your rooms and belongings. As a result of this search, the police recover an amount of illegal drugs and cash from a bedroom. Now you are charged with possession with intent to distribute these drugs. What can you do now?

It may seem like a hopeless cause when the police acted under the authority of a search warrant, but that does not mean that you don't have any defenses. The right to be free from unlawful search and seizure is one of the most highly regarded rights derived from our United States Constitution. The Fourth Amendment provides that people should be secure in their houses and other personal effects. Searches are only acceptable under certain circumstances.

Drivers in Texas who are confronted with allegations that they were driving under the influence might be under the impression that these arrests take place only after a traffic stop on the road or after an accident. In truth, people who are behind the wheel anywhere and are deemed to be under the influence can face DWI charges. Regardless of the circumstances in which the drunk driving charges came about, everyone who is arrested for DWI must make certain that they take the necessary steps to plan for their legal defense.

A 21-year-old woman was arrested recently after she was allegedly under the influence behind the wheel at a fast food restaurant. The incident happened at around 1:41 a.m. An employee contacted law enforcement because the woman was slurring her words when she placed her order. The woman is also accused of almost hitting an employee with her vehicle several times and going the wrong way in the line. She then drove over a curb in the parking lot. She subsequently drove off, but law enforcement caught her. Officers state that she smelled of alcohol and there was a stamp on her hand to signify that she had been in an establishment that serves alcohol and the stamp was necessary to denote that she was of legal age to drink. After being given a field sobriety test, she was arrested.