Case Results

On many college campuses, having a few drinks before turning 21 may seem like a very mild transgression or even a rite of passage; however, underage drinking is a crime and can lead to significant legal trouble with lasting ramifications. Recently, a young woman who was attending Villanova as a nursing student was stopped by police and charged with purchasing alcohol by a minor and public drunkenness. She understandably did not want to face the unpleasantness of having a criminal conviction attached to every future job and state license application as she pursued a nursing career. So she reached out to Philadelphia criminal defense attorney Michael Fienman to review her options.

Attorney Fienman consulted with his young client and thoroughly explained the criminal process and all the possible outcomes. By utilizing his considerable understanding of underage drinking charges and Pensylvania criminal procedure, attorney Fienman began to discuss alternate penalties with the prosecution. This negotiation led to a resolution requiring that his client participates in a diversion program and once this is completed, she would become eligible for a total expungement of the charges. Fienman’s client completed the diversion program and the matter has been expunged by Order of the Court of Common Pleas. In deciding to have a capable defense attorney like Michael Fienman handle this matter, her youthful transgression was removed from all public records and will never need to be disclosed.

The outcome of an individual case depends on a variety of factors unique to that case. Case results do not guarantee or predict a similar result in any similar or future case.