You’re old enough to legally buy alcohol. When you have a social gathering at your house, you go out and buy the drinks first. You don’t think anything of it. You’ve been doing this for years.
At the gathering, though, someone shows up who is under 21 years of age. They wind up drinking. On the way home, they get pulled over and arrested on DUI charges. It comes out that you furnished them with alcohol. Could you also end up facing legal charges?
The law is very clear: Serving someone who is under 21 is illegal
It is definitely illegal to serve someone who is under 21. They are not allowed to consume alcohol and you are not allowed to provide it for them.
Now, you may argue that you didn’t serve them anything. They just showed up at your house. Well, the law actually states that you cannot:
- Sell them alcohol
- Give them drinks
- Serve those drinks to them
- Or permit them to be served
It’s easy to understand that you cannot take $20 from a minor and buy them a case of beer, but that didn’t happen here. No money changed hands. However, under the current law, you could still be charged with furnishing that alcohol and allowing them to drink, despite not charging them for it or taking their order in advance.
What should you do if you are facing criminal charges?
If you are facing charges for illegally providing people with alcohol in some capacity, you must know what legal defense options you have. Allegations like this can change your life. A defense attorney can help protect your rights and your future.