Do I REALLY have to go to court for an underage consumtion citation?

Question

On Aug 2 I received a citation stating "Admitted to consuming alcohol". I'm 17 and was caught outside after curfew. They asked if we had been drinking (me and my friends) and truthfully i said, "Yes just a shot". Well iv'e gotten a citation before for Underage Possession of Tobacco. My friend who also got one just ripped his up and didnt go to the courthouse. Nothing happened to him. He never got a call or a summon or anything. So i'm wondering: Do I really need to go to this court date? Iv'e called a few times to see if a court date was on my record and they said that there wasnt anything. I called about 15 days after the incident.

If you dont know then dont answer. Thanks

Also, my probation officer who i saw 2 days ago never even mentioned this so she hasnt heard about it :)

Answer 1

Your friend is an idiot, not a lawyer.

Eventually he will be picked up on the failure to appear warrant.

You need to do what the citation tells you to do.  Take care of the ticket.

Your probation officer will probably learn of it soon.  You would be better off to tell her first and have her help you work it out, if she is cool about it.  But this citation definitely violates your probation.

If you want to stay out of jail, quit breaking the freakin' law.

Answer 2

if you got a citation it be best you show up/ plead no contest

Answer 3

You need to ask your probation officer directly. Sometimes the courts get backed up so they put off court dates for lesser crimes but they never "forget". You may end up having a bench warrant issued for you if you do not find out on your own. Judges are a lot more lenient toward teenagers who get a mature attitude when they are in trouble. If you tackle the problem before they notice it, it will be better for you. Trust me, you do not want to start off your life on the wrong side of the justice system, even if it does seem to you to be no big deal.