My friends and I took a camping trip to a state park in northern Michigan. Of the eleven total people, only two were under 18. Turns out that one of the girls that came brought some beer and liquor. Trying to keep everything low-key, alcohol was to be poored into different cups. Everything was fine for a few hours, until after dark that night. After on a routine patrol around the campground, a ranger spotted the same girl with a beer can in her hand. He proceeded to return to our campsite and ask all of us for I.D. The girl decided to not return to the campsite, running off to the beach to hide.
The ranger asked another girl (who was in charge of reserving the campsites etc.) if he could look through the coolers. She asked him if she could say 'no' and he responded that "he'd get in them eventually". Ten minutes later two sheriff patrol cars showed up and came over to our site. He asked who had been drinking and said if we didnt tell him he'd take us to jail. A few people raised their hands. The sheriff told us that he'd be conducting breathalizer tests on everyone after we gave him our I.D. One by one we were taken over to the squad car and breathized. Four of the eleven had not been drinking and were fine. Three others had been drinking but two blew 0.000 and one blew .009 and was let off anyways. The other four all blew .015 or over and were issued M.I.P.'s. The court date was set for four weeks later, in that same county. That sheriff assured us we would be able to change the location being as we lived over four hours away.
Meanwhile the original girl who had run off was eventually caught four hours later, and given an M.I.P. because the ranger had seen her with a beer, and nothing was mentioned about running off.
After calling the court house the following day it turns out you cannot move the location and a local lawyer said that you cannot take a lawyer into another county. How can that be true? Once certified in Michigan is it not state-wide? Also the sheriff never asked whether we want to take a breathlizer- he forced us to. What advice would you have for me as I go to court next month?
The ranger asked another girl (who was in charge of reserving the campsites etc.) if he could look through the coolers. She asked him if she could say 'no' and he responded that "he'd get in them eventually". Ten minutes later two sheriff patrol cars showed up and came over to our site. He asked who had been drinking and said if we didnt tell him he'd take us to jail. A few people raised their hands. The sheriff told us that he'd be conducting breathalizer tests on everyone after we gave him our I.D. One by one we were taken over to the squad car and breathized. Four of the eleven had not been drinking and were fine. Three others had been drinking but two blew 0.000 and one blew .009 and was let off anyways. The other four all blew .015 or over and were issued M.I.P.'s. The court date was set for four weeks later, in that same county. That sheriff assured us we would be able to change the location being as we lived over four hours away.
Meanwhile the original girl who had run off was eventually caught four hours later, and given an M.I.P. because the ranger had seen her with a beer, and nothing was mentioned about running off.
After calling the court house the following day it turns out you cannot move the location and a local lawyer said that you cannot take a lawyer into another county. How can that be true? Once certified in Michigan is it not state-wide? Also the sheriff never asked whether we want to take a breathlizer- he forced us to. What advice would you have for me as I go to court next month?
