I’VE BEEN CHARGED WITH MINOR IN POSSESSION OF ALCOHOL. WHAT ARE THE PENALTIES?
South Carolina’s penalties for Minor in Possession of Alcohol are actually quite severe. In 2011, the legislature updated this law from a 16 Title to a 63 Title, so SC Code of Laws 63-19-2440 governs it now. The penalties listed in that section include: fines anywhere from $100 to $2,450 (!) and 30 days in jail and mandatory “alcohol and drug classes” which amount to hundreds of dollars and a mandatory 120 day driver’s license suspension (required by SC Code of Laws 56-1-746). Of course, the fine and jail time are at the judge’s discretion, but there is no discretion when it comes to either the classes or the driver’s license suspension. And that’s just for a first offense. A second offense will increase the minimum fine greatly and the suspension will become a mandatory year. So, if you’re found guilty of MiPoA you’ll pay a lot of money and either bum a ride for months or risk going to jail and being charged with Driving Under Suspension (which will add yet another mandatory suspension period to your license). In addition, even after all of the suspensions are over, they remain on your driving record for up to 10 years which means any future employer will easily be able to find them during a background check. That said, you should call and ask what can be done to prevent all of this.