So I added to my laundry list of tickets on Hike night when I was carrying a drink down Hillsborough St. and a jake walked up on me out of nowhere and caught me.

I'm 21, so all I got was an open container violation.

I'm wondering if I even need to worry about a lawyer. I usually get one just for the sake of having one, no matter what the charge (unless it's some petty bullshit). I think I oculd explain myself pretty well, but I'm curious to what others have done in this situation...

6/2/2006 9:48:51 AM

should have brown bagged that

6/2/2006 9:49:37 AM

oh, i thought they were selling tickets for The Hike now....

6/2/2006 9:50:44 AM

oh yeah gotta write a two-pager about what I did to Student Conduct

6/2/2006 10:01:22 AM

Quote :

"oh, i thought they were selling tickets for The Hike now...."

6/2/2006 10:06:57 AM

So does student conduct get called in on every little offense, even if its something off campus completely unrelated to school?

6/2/2006 10:13:13 AM

not if they don't know youre a student.

6/2/2006 10:17:54 AM

i got one a couple years ago, do not get a lawyer (if you want to talk to someone, use the free lawyers from nc state).

here were my options:

1. pay the fine and move on with my life
2. go to court, apply for the drug program, pay $250 (plus the ticket) to give up a weekend to take the class, and get the charge removed from my record.

i chose option 2, but looking back i probably would have chosen option 1.

[Edited on June 2, 2006 at 10:24 AM. Reason : ]

6/2/2006 10:24:00 AM

oh man i'm way past taking that program

if it's just a fine, i'm down for paying that

6/2/2006 10:47:44 AM

yeah, just mail in the fine. i don't believe it affects your insurance, just leaves a little skid mark on your permanent record.

6/2/2006 10:49:29 AM

i don't see anything about a fine on the ticket

do they give it you in the courtroom?

6/2/2006 10:50:51 AM

yeah, i got one of those (also on the hike night).

went to court, and they told me i could pay $250 to take a class and have it expunged from my record. i was like, well what happens if i don't do that? and they said, well it will be on your permanent record...
and i was all, um... ok. and that was that.

6/2/2006 10:57:18 AM

i wonder if that class is 90-96

i took that shit like four years ago

6/2/2006 11:10:25 AM

If you have no prior misdemeanor convictions its not wise to plead guilty to one. Technically you will have to disclose that on future job/licensing/apartment applications or risk being disqualified for lying.

6/2/2006 11:33:51 AM

yeah but who carers if you got a fucking open container ticket. if i'm applying for a job and they won't hire me b/c of a ticket i got at 21 years of age while in college then they can go fuck themselves....they are probably a tight ass sucky empolyer anyway.

6/2/2006 11:49:38 AM

Fuck it... whos not gonna hire you for a misdimeanor alcohol charge from college....?

If any thing it shows character and makes your application stand out .

[Edited on June 2, 2006 at 11:52 AM. Reason : ]

6/2/2006 11:51:33 AM

Quote :

"you will have to disclose that on future job/licensing/apartment applications or risk being disqualified for lying."

All of the job applications that I have seen say something along the lines of "Have you ever been convicted of anything more then a simple misdemeanor or traffic violation"

6/2/2006 12:00:31 PM

^ you sure its "convicted" and not "charged"?

6/2/2006 12:14:44 PM

Quote :

"i wonder if that class is 90-96"

it was the 90-96 program.

Quote :

"i don't see anything about a fine on the ticket"

i got my ticket from RPD instead of an ALE officer (i don't know if that makes a difference). On the back of my ticket it outlined my court costs and the ticket fine and gave an address that I could mail the money to if i wanted to plead guilty.

6/2/2006 12:19:12 PM

mine was from RPD, too.

damned if i see anything on the back talking about a fine

i would have already mailed it

6/2/2006 12:35:09 PM

http://www.lawyers.com/manning&crouch/jsp2267777.jsp

6/2/2006 12:39:14 PM

I attended the 90-96 class with some really interesting and hilarious people. Lifelong crackheads and alcoholics can be very entertaining.

6/2/2006 1:13:12 PM

Quote :

"you sure its "convicted" and not "charged"? "

yes....being charged with something doesn't mean anything.

but having a bs charge like this isnt going to affect the job search....ive had far worse and i was able to get government clearance.

6/2/2006 1:20:52 PM

nothing is checked on the back of the ticket where it specifies if you have to go to court or you can mail in a fine, etc.

i need to figure this shit out

i want to mail in a fine and say peace

6/2/2006 1:48:45 PM

You will probably have to appear and let the judge set the fine if the cop did not write one on there.

6/2/2006 1:49:17 PM

take the class and get it taken off of your record.

6/2/2006 1:50:58 PM

dont use your expungement, just get it dismissed, you might need the expungement for something else later....if its dismissed you never have to report it on any applications. And if a stripper accuses you of rape the news media cant report that you have a "criminal record"

6/2/2006 2:03:58 PM

like i said, i did that class in my senior year of high school

so i guess i just won't get a lawyer and see what happens



[Edited on June 2, 2006 at 2:28 PM. Reason : >.<]

6/2/2006 2:11:40 PM

Quote :

"nothing is checked on the back of the ticket where it specifies if you have to go to court or you can mail in a fine, etc. i need to figure this shit out "

Call the courthouse and talk to a clerk. They'll probably know what you can/have to do.

6/2/2006 2:32:50 PM

called the clerk

$25 fine, $110 court costs

put it in the mail

6/2/2006 4:05:10 PM

gg

6/2/2006 5:12:50 PM

The hike should be made in to a block party with the st closed & open containers allowed.

6/2/2006 5:35:58 PM

Then how would the authorities make any money?

6/2/2006 9:25:24 PM

They could stand outside the barriers and jack everyone there. I think people would binge drink less if they could carry the beers in between bars. Ya know cuz you would not have to finish them so fast.

6/2/2006 9:45:29 PM

How long is the class? How many do you have to take?

You never know when stupid stuff like this might come back to haunt you--it might be nice to expunge it from your record if you ever want to run for office or anything like that. (Then again, an open container in college probably wouldn't even be comment-worthy. More like a speeding ticket or something.)

6/4/2006 10:25:24 AM

nevermind just read the thread. not gonna post all that info if you already mailed it in

[Edited on June 4, 2006 at 10:50 AM. Reason : ]

6/4/2006 10:47:16 AM