Underage Drinking : COED Magazine

SC Judge Rules State Law Barring Underage Drinking Unconstitutional

July 16, 2009 - 2:30 pm By COED Staff

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?

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?