Wondering about the common ways college students can get arrested? College is one of life’s greatest milestones; a time of learning, growth, and exploration. For many, it’s also the first time they live without their parents. Of course, students often push their limits and learn many things firsthand. Sadly, some of these experiences may get college students arrested.
Fortunately, students and their parents can avoid trouble by learning about the most common cases of student arrests and the consequences of those arrests. We have listed five common ways college students can get arrested here.
1 Using Fake Identification
Using false IDs is one of the main reasons that college students can get arrested. It may seem like a common college tradition to use a fake ID to enter a pub or club, but it is against the law. Unfortunately, technological advances have made it easier for minors to obtain fake IDs. This behavior has continued for several generations of college students and is increasing even now, putting many university students in danger of arrest.
Most teenagers are unaware that possession of a false ID card puts them in conflict with the law, incurs penalties, and requires them to perform community service. A student arrested for using a false ID will not only lose their freedom, but also points on their criminal record. Potential career and scholarship prospects may well be lost due to an arrest. In such cases, you may not need a bail bonds provider as the court will not set bail.
2 Underage Drinking
Although most individuals are aware of the legal drinking age, few know that, even for first-time offenders, underage drinking in California may lead to a 1-year license suspension in some cases. It will not only have a detrimental impact on your auto insurance premiums, but it may also block college internship opportunities because many of them don’t admit students without a driver’s license.
However, a student should not merely submit a plea of guilty to an underage drinking accusation. Instead, your criminal defense attorney should dispute the allegations. In order to successfully defend against the allegations, the prosecution must prove every condition of underage drinking.
In most cases, underage drinking charges (those under the age of 21) are punishable by fines and 36 hours of community service.
3 Disorderly Conduct
For college students arrested for disorderly conduct, the prosecution must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that they caused a public nuisance that eventually resulted in their arrest.
In California, disorderly conduct includes cases of loitering and rioting, making it much less serious than a misdemeanor or felony. In most cases, it will result in a fine (up to $1,000) and a possible one-year sentence in the county jail.
However, the attorney must negotiate a favorable settlement without trial so that the charge does not remain on your criminal record. Even though disorderly conduct is not a serious offense, many companies and programs have the right to reject applicants based on arrests for minor offenses without a guilty verdict.
In these situations, cleaning the student’s record is crucial since it is not sufficient for the prosecution to merely drop the case. If, however, bail is set, you can get a reliable bail bond provider to speed up the process and prevent any further damage to your education.
4 Hazing
Many students often fall victim to the so-called “tradition” of hazing. But now that hazing is officially addressed by law in different states like California, universities are adopting strict policies in response to a series of high-profile fatalities and injuries related to hazing.
If hazing does not lead to a severe injury, it is considered a misdemeanor by California state laws, imposing a fine (up to $5,000) and possibly one year of incarceration in county jail. If the court sets bail, it’ll probably be a cheap bail bond that you can pay yourself or get help from a reliable bail bond provider.
However, any incident of hazing that results in serious injury or death is a “wobbler” offense and is considered a felony. In addition to a three-year prison sentence, those involved (and even their schools) could face civil charges.
5 DUI
DUI is a major offense among college students arrested as Students on campuses as consuming alcohol is among the most popular college activities. DUIs are common among college students, yet they may still have terrible and expensive repercussions. If a student has never dealt with the criminal justice system, it may be a traumatic time for them as it may negatively impact their image and reflect badly on the university’s reputation.
If the student is above 21 years old, a DUI conviction can lead to license suspension, fines, DUI school, community service, and possibly jail time. If they are under 21, they have violated California’s drinking laws in addition to DUI, which can lead to a more severe penalty.
Impact of a Criminal Record on the Student
During college education, students usually can access a lot of perks, but having a criminal record can reduce your chance of being approved for them. The biggest perks are usually financing, housing, and career opportunities.
#1 Financial Support
Your chances of receiving financial aid, grants, and scholarships may be affected by a criminal background. For college students arrested, it can be difficult to get a college loan. According to Federal Student Aid, you are not eligible for a Federal Pell Grant if you are incarcerated in a state or federal prison.
If your offense falls into a certain category, such as sex or drug-related offenses, it may be challenging for you to receive benefits such as student loans and federal grants. If you are charged with a drug or sex offense, you are often no longer eligible for federal student aid after you are placed on probation.
#2 Career Prospects
A criminal record can affect your career opportunities, income, and career path after graduation. It can be difficult for people with criminal records to complete required internships or lab work. This has a particularly negative impact on academic programs in medicine and nursing that rely on supervised clinical hours.
#3 Housing
Sometimes it is important to disclose any arrests on your criminal record when looking for housing. Sadly, this may make it more challenging to get approved for student accommodation.
While it depends on the nature of the offense and the housing option, having an arrest on your criminal record can significantly decrease your chances of being approved.
How We Can Help
A criminal arrest can certainly be a scary situation for a student. Luckily, California state laws don’t usually impose heavy penalties for the offenses above, but the real risk is having that arrest on your records as it can negatively impact the course of your education or career.
In severe cases that lead to serious injury or fatality, the court may decide to set bail at a sum that is beyond your budget. In such cases, a reliable bail bonds provider can come in and provide the financing needed to get you or your loved one released as soon as possible.
Our mission at Escondido Bail Bonds is to help college students arrested and their families to get through these tough times. By sending an agent to your door or completing your application online, we can start the process quickly. Just contact us and let’s get started.
Need help posting bail? We can help
Bail is the temporary release of an accused person awaiting trial, sometimes on the condition that a sum of money is lodged to guarantee their appearance in court.
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Escondido Bail Bonds have the cheapest bail bonds with great services in all of Southern California and have a network of Licensed Bail Agents within 5 miles of every Jail. Please contact us with any questions in regard to the bail process or inmate information.
*Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this publication at the time it was written. It is not intended to provide legal advice or suggest a guaranteed outcome as individual situations will differ.
