A 19-year-old in New Jersey discovered that the buck stopped with him as he was charged with several violations of law following the overnight arrest of a drunken 14-year-old. The older man was charged with supplying the underage boy with alcohol and for providing his own driver’s license to the youth.
The younger boy was arrested by Hackettstown police for drunk driving after he failed a field sobriety test. He told police he was 19 and showed them the older man’s license, but that did not fool the police officers involved. The boy was arrested for driving drunk and for having an open container of alcohol and a shotgun in the Dodge Durango. He also was charged for being in possession of the gun without a having a firearms ID card.
While under the influence of alcohol, the youth openly admitted to police officers that the older man provided him with the driver’s license and vehicle keys to drive another juvenile home. The incident demonstrates the dangers that alcohol abuse presents when it is not controlled by a responsible person. Persons under the influence of alcohol lack proper judgment, an attribute that is very important to have for safe driving ability.
This case clearly demonstrates that some unwise offenders are led down an illegal path by others who should know better. Providing underage persons with alcohol is a crime; drunk driving is also against New Jersey law. A criminal defense lawyer is representing the youthful offender. A criminal defense lawyer is the right person to call in to protect rights in cases like this; the consequences of any criminal conviction are very serious and long-lasting.
Source: The Republic, “Police arrest NJ boy, 14, on charges of drunk driving with shotgun in vehicle,” Dec. 14, 2011