Is it worth fighting an open container ticket?
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Is it worth fighting an open container ticket?
I was with 2 of my friends walking this past Friday. 2 out of 3 of us were holding a beer and all three of us got tickets for open container of alcohol in public. Is it worth going to court and fighting this? I was looking at the ticket and they didn’t specify what type of alcohol it was, they left out the location of the incident (looks like they had to put in a location code) and only put the description of the location. They also asked for my 2 friends social security numbers and phone numbers but did not ask for mine which I thought was strange.
Asked on June 11, 2012 under Criminal Law, New Jersey
Answers:
FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 11 years ago | Contributor
A citation for an open container is typically deemed a misdemeanor where the potential punishment if found guilty for the criminal offense is 6 months in jail and/or a $1,000 fine.
Given such a possibility, it may well be worth your time and effort to consult with a criminal defense attorney as to whether you should contest the open container citation that you recently received. A criminal conviction for such stays on your record and could have a negative future impact for you as to school and employment possibilities.
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