Juvenile Public Intoxication in Utah

Utah courts have specific consequences for minors who are found guilty of juvenile public intoxication, in the hopes that knowing the consequences will deter Utah kids from drinking alcohol.

When a minor who is 18-20 years old is guilty of violating the public intoxication statute, the court shall suspend the minor’s driving privileges. The word ‘shall’ doesn’t leave a judge an option of suspending the driving privileges. The automatic suspension of driving privilege is one year, but the court may reduce the time of suspension if the public intoxication violation is the minor’s first violation of the statute and if the minor completes an educational series.

If, however, the minor has already violated the public intoxication statute one or more times, the court shall order the minor to participate in an educational series and may order the person to participate in a screening. A screening is used to determine if the minor needs an assessment or educational series. An assessment occurs when a minor has a detailed interview with a licensed mental health therapist. The assessment may help find out if a minor needs further help from a substance abuse treatment program.

A minor who is aged 13-17 and is guilty of public intoxication will also have his driver’s license suspended. If he isn’t old enough to have a driver’s license, he will not be able to get a license or learner’s permit until one year after he is eligible for the license or permit.

Let your teenager know that drinking alcohol may keep him from getting his license or permit on time, or even take away his driving privilege if he already has a license. No one wants to have their independence curbed by not being legally able to drive, especially a teen.

If your child is in trouble with the law, whether over juvenile public intoxication or some other matter, talk to a Utah juvenile defense attorney immediately. Getting your child an attorney doesn’t necessarily get him off the hook for any crimes he may have committed, but it will make sure he’s treated fairly by the juvenile court system.