Minor and Major Trouble
Examining the legal system of minors and majors
17 year old and 19 year old caught with alcohol
Devan a 19-year-old, and his good friend, Jack, a 17-year-old, are sitting and talking in Devan’s car. A police officer on patrol pulls up to the car and examines the teens. The officer decides to check their IDs, since an 11 p.m. curfew is in effect on school nights. When the officer looks into the car window to talk with them, he spots a partially consumed six-pack of beer. The 19-year-old is taken into arrested. Another officer arrives on the scene to escort the 17-year-old home to his parents.
Devan is arrested but Jack is sent home
After Devan's car is searched for the six pack of beer, they arrest Devan and take away. But Jack on the other hand is escorted home to his parents with taking him to jail as well.
Why is this?
Devin is a registered adult while Jack is still a minor. Many rules and regulations apply for these two. Many of them are very different.
Major Laws
If you are 18 or older you are a registered adult in the u.s. today. In this situation, Devan can be tried as an adult in a court of law and he his still under the drinking age. Even though devan is still pretty young, he's 18 and that's an adult.
Minor Laws
If you are young than 18 you are registered as a minor. When under 18,you do have a cerfew which is 11:00 p.m. as of now. He will not get the same punishment as devan but he could get charged.
Devin's punishment
Since devin is a major, he's going to recieve a lot more than Jack. Devin could recieve open container in his car, underage drinking, jail time, prodivng alcohol to a minor, and community service. This crime is very likely to send devin to jail for quite some time since he could be tried as an adult in a court of law.
Jack's Punishment
Jack's punishment will be a lot lighter than devin's but it could also be a bad one. Jack could lose his drivers license along with getting inrolled into alcohol support classes. He could also expect a big fine and maybe even some community service.
Minority in Ohio/Rights under constitution
Minority in Ohio is very simple. If you are under 18 or have not obtained a high school diploma is considered a minor. Minors have cerfews which are usually at 11:00 p.m and no later. Minors are forbidden to drink until they reach the age of 21.
Majority in Ohio/Rights under constitution.
Majority in Ohio is the age of 18 and up. Even if a person reaches the age of 18, that does not mean they are allowed to consume alcohol legally. If the person is 18 and is caught committing a crime, they can be tried as an adult.