New York has a lot of colleges. So do the states all around the Northeast. And New York City is one major attraction for young people who may be students in the region.
Another thing that is often a major attraction for college students, most of whom are underage, is the consumption of alcohol. Police know that and are always on the watch — not just for the drinkers, but even more especially for those who may have been drinking and driving.
Any young person in New York needs to be aware that a driver who is underage does not have to be legally drunk to earn a criminal record in this state. As the SafeNY website notes, a charge of driving while ability is impaired could be brought if a driver under 21 is found to have a blood alcohol content of between just .05 percent and .08 percent. Such a charge requires an appearance in criminal court and a conviction could send a student’s college into a tail spin.
New York does have a Zero Tolerance law in place that does provide for a level of mitigation in certain cases. The provisions allow for a case to be moved to an administrative law judge, but the BAC of the suspected driver has to have been minimal, between .02 percent and .07 percent. The processes through zero tolerance are still legally complex, though, and a conviction can still result in a suspension of the driver’s license.
Achieving the best possible outcome, wherever the case might be handled, clearly depends on having skilled legal counsel at your side.
