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Every year, tens of thousands of young men and women leave home, often for the first time as independent adults, to attend colleges and universities across the state of South Carolina. Unfortunately, the newfound freedom that comes with this transition can sometimes lead to unwise decisions—and since people over 18 are legally considered adults, some of those unwise decisions can lead to criminal charges prosecuted in adult criminal court.
If you or your child is dealing with a criminal allegation while enrolled in a college or university in the Palmetto State, you may have a complex road ahead of you that requires help from a skilled defense attorney to navigate. Through criminal court proceedings and school disciplinary hearings, a knowledgeable South Carolina student defense lawyer can ensure you understand your rights and provide crucial assistance with proactively enforcing them.
Underage alcohol possession and disorderly conduct are two of the criminal offenses most often committed by college and university students. These charges can have serious repercussions and are worth contesting whenever prudent. However, in many instances, they are treated as misdemeanors, which means penalties upon conviction generally stop at fines, probation, community service, and only occasionally short jail sentences.
College and university students can also be charged with more serious felony offenses like:
Even first-time offenders can be prosecuted to the full extent of the law for offenses of this nature. This could mean fines of thousands of dollars, multiple years in state prison rather than local or county jail, and potentially other consequences like mandatory registration as a sex offender. Representation from a South Carolina student defense attorney is essential to minimizing the short-term and long-term consequences of allegations like these.
Qualified legal counsel can also provide vital assistance regarding the impact a criminal charge might have on a student’s academic career. Every institution of higher learning in South Carolina has a student code of conduct or some equivalent. In addition to establishing academic rules and standards, these codes generally prohibit any illegal conduct while on campus or while using school property.
This means a student accused of a criminal offense will likely also face disciplinary action from their school related to that offense. Additionally, school disciplinary bodies are not beholden to the rules and protections established for criminal defendants by the United States Constitution.
In other words, there is no guarantee that a student facing disciplinary action will have a right to a trial before their peers, a presumption of innocence until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, or even the right to remain silent. This can make it even more important to have help from a student defense lawyer in South Carolina who can help construct a defense strategy tailored to their particular school’s disciplinary procedures.
Every student is different, and so is every criminal case. What is consistent in virtually every situation is the importance of support from a capable legal professional who knows how to handle allegations like yours.
A South Carolina student defense lawyer can discuss your legal options and offer preliminary guidance about the next steps during a free initial case evaluation. Call Price Benowitz today to schedule yours.
Price Benowitz helped my 17 year old boy get out of a reckless driving and driving without a driver’s license. Andrew Lindsey was patient, understood our situation and was very professional, my son ended up taking some driving classes and paying a small fine. I can not thank him enough 🙏
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