Alcohol-related incidents resulting in criminal charges on Northern Arizona University’s campus and in Flagstaff occur for a variety of reasons. The most frequently occurring reason is due to age. Underaged students involved in drinking off-campus could be cited with a minor in consumption (MIC) or possession (MIP) from the Flagstaff Police Department. On campus, a resident assistant in a residence hall, and NAU’s Police Department may document residents.
Another reason can be the students residing in or visiting the residence halls on NAU’s campus are bringing in or consuming alcohol in “dry halls”; on NAU’s campus, all of the freshman halls prohibit residents from bringing alcohol into the halls, as well as the Greek Hall, Mountain View, which houses NAU’s fraternity and sorority chapters.
Underage Drinking in Flagstaff Could Get you More than Buzzed
It is important, that regardless of whether or not the student is at fault, that they cooperate with officers respectfully. It is also important that while on the NAU campus that a student has either a state ID or student ID card with them to properly identify themselves with if asked. Students must be able to have identification that they are authorized to be on campus.
More often than not, resident assistants or police are usually drawn to an incident due to the noise or the number of people in one location. Large groups of people and noise frequently tip off resident assistants or police officers that something is amiss.
If alcohol is present in a situation like this, students could be documented or cited. This being the case, students who may not have been involved with drinking, but who were present will also be documented. Being documented like this could result in the need for representation to challenge the charges brought forth. Given the large university student population in the city of Flagstaff, a number of neighborhoods around NAU’s campus are frequent sites for parties with alcohol.
Author Bio
Matthew L. Lopez
Matthew L. Lopez is the Managing Attorney and founder of Matthew Lopez Law, a criminal defense and DUI firm serving clients throughout Arizona. His track record of case dismissals and charge reductions has earned him honors, including a National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 nomination, a “Superb” 10/10 Avvo rating, and a Rising Star designation by Super Lawyers.
Matthew is a member of the National College for DUI Defense and holds active memberships with the Arizona Association for Criminal Justice and the Arizona Association for Justice. His firm handles criminal defense, DUI, drug charges, and traffic offenses, offering free consultations and affordable payment plans to make quality defense accessible to all Arizonans.
