SC Judge Rules State Law Barring Underage Drinking Unconstitutional

July 16, 2009 Posted in College, Liquor

M- TEEN_DRINKING If you’re younger than 21 in South Carolina, you cannot buy alcohol. But what about having it in your possession or drinking it?

By COED Staff

A court ruling today suggests state law contains nothing that would make it illegal for many young people to own or use alcoholic beverages.

“This magistrate in Richland County has concluded that the statute that criminalizes possession and consumption is unconstitutional,” says attorney Joe McCulloch.

In a ruling issued Monday morning, Richland Co. Magistrate Mel Maurer sided with McCulloch, acting on behalf of a 20-year-old client ticketed March 9th for possession.

So what does that actually mean?

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Comments

885193 Responses2009-07-16+18%3A30%3A48COED+Staff to “SC Judge Rules State Law Barring Underage Drinking Unconstitutional”

c johnson says:

July 17, 2009 at 4:46 am

Awesome, good job judge!
Richard Speck says:

July 17, 2009 at 3:11 pm

The second paragraph of your story states that there is no state law against minors owning or using alcohol. The third paragraph says there is such a law, and that the judge found it unconstitutional. So which is it?

Of course it looks like you are not to blame, since you simply plagarized the story from the TV station's Web site.
Death Magnetic says:

July 17, 2009 at 6:01 pm

How idiotic. What the hell kind of governing body is in power in South Carolina? To believe that a statute that says minors in possession of alcohol is unconstitutional is insane. Maybe this pathetic magistrate will reconsider his position when some underage drinker climbs behind the wheel of a vehicle, drunk off their ass and kills a member of his family.