Alcohol Related Offenses

Attorney Jason S. Dunkle started the State College criminal defense firm of JD Law and has been representing people charged with alcohol-related offenses since 2004. Many of his clients are Penn State students, alums, or visitors. The severity of charges range from relatively minor offenses like Underage Drinking or Public Drunkenness, to more severe misdemeanor charges Driving Under the Influence or Furnishing Alcohol to Minors.  Intoxicated people also tend to get into fights and face Simple Assault charges, and some drunk people go into the wrong apartment and face felony trespass charges.  A conviction of any criminal offense can result in fines, jail time, and license suspensions. Also, a criminal record may make it more difficult to get a job or rent an apartment in the future. Some professions, like doctors and nurses, view alcohol-related convictions more negatively, meaning convictions of alcohol offenses may jeopardize future licensure by the state boards.

At JD Law, we have a track record of obtaining favorable results for clients, be it through successfully fighting cases and obtaining not guilty verdicts or dismissals, or be it through reaching agreements with prosecutors or the police.  Our experience includes handling cases for:

Getting the Charge Dismissed – Pretrial Diversion Programs

Many courts and judges use some form of pre-adjudicative disposition or pretrial diversionary program for first-time offenders of relatively minor, non-violent offenses. With such programs, a person normally pleads “not guilty” but accepts a punishment from the court.  The person is never convicted or found guilty.  By completing the punishment, the charges can be dismissed. A dismissal does NOT result in the destruction of records. In order to have records destroyed, they must be expunged via the expungement process.

For many summary offenses such as Underage Drinking, Public Drunkenness, and Possession of a Fake ID, judges permit a person to complete alcohol education programs or community service in exchange for a dismissal of the charge.  With more severe charges, such as Furnishing Alcohol to Minor or DUI, they are resolved through the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) program.  The availability of diversionary programs varies from judge to judge, so you should try to retain an attorney with experience in handling cases before the particular judge that is involved in your case.  Experience matters.

Penn State Students & University Discipline

A violation of the is also a violation of the Penn State Code of Student Conduct. The fact that the incident occurred off campus does not matter. The jurisdiction of the Code of Conduct connects to the student and not to a physical location. If Penn State becomes aware of  a criminal charge, they will open a disciplinary system investigation for possible violations of the Code of Conduct. The two processes are independent and should be handled differently.  The fact that a charge may be dismissed in the criminal system does not mean that Penn State will not pursue their own prosecution.

For a free consultation directly with an experienced State College criminal defense attorney, please call (814) 689-9193 or contact us by email.