Kenneth Vercammen is a Middlesex County trial attorney who has published 130 articles in national and New Jersey publications on Criminal Law and litigation topics. He was awarded the NJ State State Bar Municipal Court Practitioner of the Year. He lectures and handles criminal cases, Municipal Court, DWI, traffic and other litigation matters. He is Deputy Chair of the ABA Criminal Law Committee,GP and lectured at the 2008 ABA Annual Meeting attended by 10,000 attorneys and professionals. Visit Website www.njlaws.com

Kenneth Vercammen & Associates, P.C.

2053 Woodbridge Avenue - Edison, NJ 08817
(732) 572-0500
http://www.njlaws.com/

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

2C:33-17. Availability of alcoholic beverages to underaged, offenses

2C:33-17. Availability of alcoholic beverages to underaged, offenses
1. a. Anyone who purposely or knowingly offers or serves or makes available an alcoholic beverage to a person under the legal age for consuming alcoholic beverages or entices or encourages that person to drink an alcoholic beverage is a disorderly person.

This subsection shall not apply to a parent or guardian of the person under legal age for consuming alcoholic beverages if the parent or guardian is of the legal age to consume alcoholic beverages or to a religious observance, ceremony or rite. This subsection shall also not apply to any person in his home who is of the legal age to consume alcoholic beverages who offers or serves or makes available an alcoholic beverage to a person under the legal age for consuming alcoholic beverages or entices that person to drink an alcoholic beverage in the presence of and with the permission of the parent or guardian of the person under the legal age for consuming alcoholic beverages if the parent or guardian is of the legal age to consume alcoholic beverages.

b. A person who makes real property owned, leased or managed by him available to, or leaves that property in the care of, another person with the purpose that alcoholic beverages will be made available for consumption by, or will be consumed by, persons who are under the legal age for consuming alcoholic beverages is guilty of a disorderly persons offense.

This subsection shall not apply if:

(1) the real property is licensed or required to be licensed by the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control in accordance with the provisions of R.S.33:1-1 et seq;

(2) the person making the property available, or leaving it in the care of another person, is of the legal age to consume alcoholic beverages and is the parent or guardian of the person who consumes alcoholic beverages while under the legal age for consuming alcoholic beverages; or

(3) the alcoholic beverages are consumed by a person under the legal age for consuming alcoholic beverages during a religious observance, ceremony or rite.

2C:33-16. Alcoholic beverages; bringing or possession on school property by person of legal age; penalt

2C:33-16. Alcoholic beverages; bringing or possession on school property by person of legal age; penalty
Any person of legal age to purchase alcoholic beverages, who knowingly and without the express written permission of the school board, its delegated authority, or any school principal, brings or possesses any alcoholic beverages on any property used for school purposes which is owned by any school or school board, is guilty of a disorderly persons offense.

2C:33-15 Possession, consumption of alcoholic beverages by persons under legal age; penalty.

2C:33-15 Possession, consumption of alcoholic beverages by persons under legal age; penalty.

1. a. 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 $500.00.

b.Whenever this offense is committed in a motor vehicle, the court shall, in addition to the sentence authorized for the offense, suspend or postpone for six months the driving privilege of the defendant. Upon the conviction of any person under this section, the court shall forward a report to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission stating the first and last day of the suspension or postponement period imposed by the court pursuant to this section. If a person at the time of the imposition of a sentence is less than 17 years of age, the period of license postponement, including a suspension or postponement of the privilege of operating a motorized bicycle, shall commence on the day the sentence is imposed and shall run for a period of six months after the person reaches the age of 17 years.

If a person at the time of the imposition of a sentence has a valid driver's license issued by this State, the court shall immediately collect the license and forward it to the commission along with the report. If for any reason the license cannot be collected, the court shall include in the report the complete name, address, date of birth, eye color, and sex of the person as well as the first and last date of the license suspension period imposed by the court.

The court shall inform the person orally and in writing that if the person is convicted of operating a motor vehicle during the period of license suspension or postponement, the person shall be subject to the penalties set forth in R.S.39:3-40. A person shall be required to acknowledge receipt of the written notice in writing. Failure to receive a written notice or failure to acknowledge in writing the receipt of a written notice shall not be a defense to a subsequent charge of a violation of R.S.39:3-40.

If the person convicted under this section is not a New Jersey resident, the court shall suspend or postpone, as appropriate, the non-resident driving privilege of the person based on the age of the person and submit to the commission the required report. The court shall not collect the license of a non-resident convicted under this section. Upon receipt of a report by the court, the commission shall notify the appropriate officials in the licensing jurisdiction of the suspension or postponement.

c.In addition to the general penalty prescribed for a disorderly persons offense, the court may require any person who violates this act to participate in an alcohol education or treatment program, authorized by the Department of Health and Senior Services, for a period not to exceed the maximum period of confinement prescribed by law for the offense for which the individual has been convicted.

d.Nothing in this act shall apply to possession of alcoholic beverages by any such person while actually engaged in the performance of employment pursuant to an employment permit issued by the Director of the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control, or for a bona fide hotel or restaurant, in accordance with the provisions of R.S.33:1-26, or while actively engaged in the preparation of food while enrolled in a culinary arts or hotel management program at a county vocational school or post secondary educational institution.

e.The provisions of section 3 of P.L.1991, c.169 (C.33:1-81.1a) shall apply to a parent, guardian or other person with legal custody of a person under 18 years of age who is found to be in violation of this section.

f.An underage person and one or two other persons shall be immune from prosecution under this section if:

(1)one of the underage persons called 9-1-1 and reported that another underage person was in need of medical assistance due to alcohol consumption;

(2)the underage person who called 9-1-1 and, if applicable, one or two other persons acting in concert with the underage person who called 9-1-1 provided each of their names to the 9-1-1 operator;

(3)the underage person was the first person to make the 9-1-1 report; and

(4)the underage person and, if applicable, one or two other persons acting in concert with the underage person who made the 9-1-1 call remained on the scene with the person under the legal age in need of medical assistance until assistance arrived and cooperated with medical assistance and law enforcement personnel on the scene.

The underage person who received medical assistance also shall be immune from prosecution under this section.

33:1-92. Penalties

33:1-90. Discounts, rebates or other allowances to retailers
It shall be unlawful for any manufacturer, wholesaler, or other person privileged to sell to retailers to grant, directly or indirectly, to any retailer purchasing alcoholic beverages other than malt beverages, any discount, rebate, free goods, allowance or other inducement over and above any discount, rebate, free goods, allowance or other inducement available to any other retailer purchasing from him alcoholic beverages bearing the same brand or trade name and of like age, quality and quantity.

L.1939, c. 87, p. 175, s. 2.

33:1-91. Participation in unlawful transactions prohibited
It shall be unlawful for any manufacturer, wholesaler, retailer and for any of their stockholders, officers, directors and employees, to participate, directly or indirectly, in any transactions which are declared unlawful by the preceding paragraphs of this act.

L.1939, c. 87, p. 175, s. 3.

33:1-92. Penalties
Violation of this act shall be punished by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars ($500.00) or by imprisonment of not more than thirty (30) days or by both such fine and imprisonment in the discretion of the court.

33:1-86. Punishment for violating section 33:1-85

33:1-86. Punishment for violating section 33:1-85
Any person who sells or offers for sale, or any retail licensee who sells, offers for sale or possesses alcohol in violation of this act shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars ($100.00) and not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00), or by imprisonment of not less than thirty (30) days and not more than three (3) years, or by both fine and imprisonment in the discretion of the court.

33:1-81.7. Transfer of card; penalty

33:1-81.7. Transfer of card; penalty
It shall be unlawful for the owner of an identification card, as defined by this act, to transfer said card to any other person for the purpose of aiding such person to secure alcoholic beverages. Any person who shall transfer such identification card for the purpose of aiding such transferee to obtain alcoholic beverages shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $300.00, or undergo imprisonment for not more than 60 days. Any person not entitled thereto who shall have unlawfully procured or have issued or transferred to him, as aforesaid, identification card or any person who shall make any false statement on any card required by subsection (c) hereof to be signed by him shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $300.00, or undergo imprisonment for not more than 60 days.

33:1-81.1a. Violations by parent, guardian, notification, fine

33:1-81.1a. Violations by parent, guardian, notification, fine
A parent, guardian or other person having legal custody of a person under 18 years of age found in violation of R.S.33:1-81 or section 1 of P.L.1979, c.264 (C.2C:33-15) shall be notified of the violation in writing. The parent, guardian or other person having legal custody of a person under 18 years of age shall be subject to a fine in the amount of $500.00 upon any subsequent violation of R.S.33:1-81 or section 1 of P.L.1979, c.264 (C.2C:33-15) on the part of such person if it is shown that the parent, guardian or other person having legal custody failed or neglected to exercise reasonable supervision or control over the conduct of the person under 18 years of age.