North Carolina Special Agents Arrest More Than 250 Festival-Goers

November 29, 2012

North Carolina Special Agents Arrest More Than 250 Festival-Goers

A North Carolina festival did more than bring over 300,000 people to Wilmington this spring. The annual Azalea Festival also featured special law enforcement agents on the lookout for alcohol- and drug-related offenses. The agents arrested 261 people on charges of underage drinking, marijuana possession and using fake identification, according to witn.com. The 15 Alcohol Law Enforcement, or ALE, special agents at the festival represented over one-tenth of the entire North Carolina ALE force.

North Carolina Alcohol Laws

North Carolina ALE agents have authority to investigate and arrest people suspected of any alcohol-related offenses such as:
-Selling alcohol without a permit
-Selling or providing alcohol to anyone under the age of 21
-Having an open container of alcohol in a car
-Selling wine, beer or liquor to anyone who is intoxicated

Anyone charged with a first-time offense of selling or providing alcohol to anyone under the age of 21 faces the possibility of a penalty that includes a $250 fine and $100 in court costs, plus 25 hours of community service. The fines for subsequent violations of the law are increasingly harsh, as are those for the separate offense of aiding and abetting the sale or provision of alcohol to someone under 21.

Underage Drinking Offenses

North Carolina underage drinking laws prohibit anyone under the age of 21 from possessing, purchasing or even attempting to purchase liquor; this includes getting caught while drinking. Violations typically result in a class 1 misdemeanor charge. The sentence can vary depending on the judge and the strength of the prosecution's case against the underage defendant. The defendant, regardless of age, also risks revocation of their driver's license by the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles.

Those who have been accused or charged with underage drinking or selling or providing alcohol to a minor should seek legal representation by a skilled, experienced criminal defense attorney who can defend them and attempt to get the charges minimized or even dropped.

Article provided by Wood, Rabil & Peake, LLP
Visit us at http://www.wrplaw.net