By Beth Florkowski of Fausone Bohn, LLP posted in Criminal Law on Tuesday, April 12, 2016.

Mark Mandell, Esq.

The days of a minor in possession (MIP) charge ruining a young adult’s future may soon be over, thanks to the passage of Michigan Senate Bills 332-333. If approved by the House of Representatives, a MIP charge will change from a misdemeanor to a civil infraction for the first offense.

This means if your minor child gets busted for having a beer, he will not have to subject to any jail time nor probationary terms; instead, it will only be a $100.00 fine. More importantly, he/she will not have to report this civil infraction on their college applications since admissions offices are typically concerned with misdemeanor and felony charges only. It is important to note that only the first offense will be a civil infraction. Any subsequent offenses will be misdemeanors punishable by fines and possible jail time.

Hopefully, these changes will come sooner rather than later; but in the meantime, the same laws are still in place. Your child will still be charged with a misdemeanor upon conviction for a MIP offense. In the unfortunate event this occurs, you should contact Fausone Bohn, LLP immediately and ask for attorney Mark Mandell.

If you are facing criminal charges, Mark Mandell is an experienced Metro Detroit defense attorney and a former prosecutor. Call Fausone Bohn, LLP today at  248-380-0000, and find out how Mark and our other defense attorneys can help you.