If you’re over the age of 21 and a younger sibling asks you to buy them some beer, or you’re a parent of underage children who ask if they can have a few drinks with friends at your house, you may not think that it’s a huge deal to furnish them with alcohol. After all, a lot of people have their first sip of alcohol before they officially turn 21, and it’s better for it to happen under your watch then at someone else’s house or at their first college party. This mindset is somewhat common, but it can get you in a world of trouble, even if you think you’re being careful. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at the potential penalties for furnishing alcohol to minors in Minnesota.
Furnishing Alcohol To Minors
A number of people find themselves being pressured into providing alcohol for underage individuals every single day. Maybe you have a younger sibling who is offering to pay good money for a case of beer, or maybe you’re the oldest one in the friend group and now that you’ve turned 21, some of your friends expect you to be the beer buyer for the group. Parents may feel the pressure to buy alcohol for their kids because they would rather it happen in a controlled situation at their home instead of god knows where. But if you succumb to this pressure, you can find yourself facing criminal charges in a hurry.
Per the law in Minnesota, furnishing alcohol for minors is a gross misdemeanor offense, which is punishable by up to a year in jail and fines up to $3,000. Moreover, the conviction will also end up on your criminal record, which could cause problems in the future for your employment, especially if you work with kids.
You may think that you’ll take the risk of paying a fine and you’ve never heard of someone going to jail for giving a six-pack of beer to someone who is underage, and if you’re simply caught furnishing alcohol to a minor, odds are you are right. It’s highly unlikely that a first offense charge of providing alcohol to a minors will land you in jail, but remember it’s not out of the realm of possibilities. However, you certainly can end up in jail if the person you provide alcohol to ends up committing a crime of their own.
Much like a drug dealer can be hit with major charges if the person they sell drugs to overdoses and dies as a result of taking the drugs, you’re on the hook for the actions of the underager you provided alcohol to. If you provide alcohol to your son and his friends, and then one of your son’s friends drives home, causes a car accident and kills someone, you can be charged with a felony. This will likely result in jail time and major fines, so know that if you provide alcohol to someone, you’re responsible for their actions and the actions of anyone they share that alcohol with.
Simply put, do not cave to this pressure and explain why you’re uncomfortable putting your job, financial security and even your freedom on the line by furnishing alcohol to others. It’s just not worth the risk.
If you have been charged with furnishing alcohol to minors in Minnesota, or you’re an underage individual facing an illegal possession of alcohol charge, reach out to Avery and the team at Appelman Law Firm today at (952) 224-2277.
