College of New Jersey Student Accused of Assaulting Police Officer
A 19-year-old student at The College of New Jersey faces multiple criminal charges after allegedly pushing an officer while attempting to avoid being arrested for underage drinking. According to The Times of Trenton, the incident occurred on Browning Avenue in Ewing. The report states that the male college student was walking with three other students when the officer asked for their IDs. The teenager reportedly attempted to take back his ID, resisted arrest, and fled the scene on foot. He was chased down and arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault on a police officer, resisting arrest, obstructing the administration of law, underage drinking, and consuming an alcoholic beverage in public.
New Jersey Statute 2C:33-15 states: "Any person under the legal age to purchase alcoholic beverages who knowingly possesses without legal authority or who knowingly consumes any alcoholic beverage in any school, public conveyance, public place, or place of public assembly, or motor vehicle, is guilty of a disorderly persons offense, and shall be fined not less than $500."
It is common for teenagers to become nervous and scared when dealing with the authorities. In such cases, there is the potential for mistakes to be made and for a minor offense to turn into serious criminal charges and result in unnecessarily harsh penalties. Charges such as resisting arrest and assault can be added on top of any other charges the defendant is likely to face for underage drinking in New Jersey. It is imperative in such cases that the defendant is represented by an experienced criminal defense attorney.
The knowledgeable Princeton juvenile crime defense attorneys at Lependorf & Silverstein have years of experience handling underage drinking cases in New Jersey. If you or a loved one has been arrested on suspicion of underage drinking or assaulting an officer, please call our offices at (609) 240-0040 to discuss your case.
