Not too long ago, most college kids could find another student who made fake IDs. Other students would get an ID made and use that ID to go to bars and, if they were brave enough, liquor stores. If the ID was good, it would work most of the time, and if it didn’t, one of two things would happen – the bouncer would take your ID and tell you to go home, or the bouncer will give you back the ID and tell you to go home. Very rarely were the police involved.
Now, let’s look at how things work today. A student at Georgetown, George Washington, or American decides he or she wants a fake ID and goes online to get a fake ID from one of the many companies, mostly based in China, that offer this service. The ID arrives, and they go out to a bar to use it. This could one of the bars on 18th Street NW, one of the bars on M Street, or any number of establishments college kids in DC like to frequent.
This time, the bouncer notices it’s a fake ID and says he has to keep it. He acts like he wants to let you go, but instead, a police officer who happens to be at the bar says he has to arrest you on charges of Misrepresentation of Age in Washington, DC. This charge is also known as having a Fake or an ABC Violation. In this case, ABC stands for Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, which is the Washington, DC agency that tries to stop college kids from using fake IDs, among their other responsibilities.
The officer tells you this is no big deal, and you don’t even need a lawyer. He then takes you to the police station on 16th and V, in most cases, and books and processes you before releasing you with a citation to return to court at a later date. Depending on the day of the week, you will be told to come Courtroom 115, 116 or 120. When the officer said this isn’t a big deal, he was saying this because he didn’t want you to plead with him to let you go. It is not that you will go to jail, but a college kid doesn’t need an arrest record.
What a college student with a Misrepresentation of Age charge needs is an experienced Washington, DC fake ID lawyer who will help him or her get through the process as quickly and as painlessly as possible, and in a way that will help make sure this unfortunate incident is expunged from their record, so they don’t have to worry about it when it comes time for job fairs and applying for law school, med school, or grad school, should they decided to continue their education after getting a bachelor’s degree.
While every case is different is different, as the facts are never the same, with assistance from an experienced attorney, you will be able to get through this and not make a minor mistake have a lasting effect on your future.
If you have been charged with Misresentation of Age, or any other criminal offense in the District of Columbia, contact attorney Christopher J. Mutimer at 202.670.2930
