College students sometimes find themselves in a difficult circumstance with regard to alcohol. On the one hand, many are technically adults. On the other hand, if they are under the age of 21, they could face the threat of DUI underage alcohol charges under some circumstances.
Social pressure to drink exists in and around Georgia college campuses, and often a college student becomes the victim of circumstance. If it is a college party, for example, police may suspect and accuse certain students of drinking, when in fact they were not. Combine the threat of underage alcohol charges with DUI charges, and the student could face very steep punishment if found guilty by a court of law.
Recently, a University of Georgia student was charged with a DUI after a university police officer pulled him over for driving his SUV without its headlights lights turned on. The officer had the student do a field sobriety test. He then arrested the student and took him to Clark County Jail.
The age of the UGA student is not known; therefore, it is not certain whether or not he will face underage alcohol charges in addition to the DUI. However, the young man did inform the officer he had only consumed one beer a couple hours before being pulled over. If this is true, then it is unlikely this man was driving under the influence. In such cases, numerous legal defenses and strategies can be employed to get inappropriate charges dismissed and in the best of outcomes, earn a verdict of not guilty.
Source: redandblack.com, “Police report, June 20 UGA student charged with DUI,” Brad Mannion, June 20, 2013