__________________________________________Ask the DA
 

FAKE ID = REAL RISK
 

A friend’s son was recently arrested for having a fake ID. How serious is that, and will it go on his permanent record?

Possession of a fake ID is a serious violation of law, and, depending on the circumstances, could even be chargeable as a felony. Any teenager who is 16 years old or older and is found to be in possession of one of these forged documents (fake IDs) can be arrested, brought to a police precinct, and fingerprinted. He or she can expect to be in police custody for a considerable amount of time and might even be held overnight in a detention cell before being brought before a Criminal Court judge for arraignment.

Teenagers often use fake IDs to engage in behaviors from which the law restricts them until their twenty-first birthday. Fake IDs are frequently used by underage teens to purchase alcohol in liquor stores, groceries or bars, to enter nightclubs, and to order alcoholic beverages in restaurants. Since many of the clubs and restaurants where New York City’s teens congregate tend to be located in Manhattan, arrests for possession of fake IDs are more common there than in Brooklyn. Such arrests are even more common in suburban and rural college towns, where many local parents send their children to study.

Parents should know that any criminal arrest and conviction can affect their child’s future, especially if the child ever wishes to pursue a career in law or law enforcement. I urge all parents to sit down with their teenage children to discuss the potentially serious consequences of possessing and using fake IDs. I also urge schools to advise their students about the inherent risks of possessing and using these forged documents. My office stands ready to send assistant district attorneys to schools in Brooklyn to discuss this topic with students and faculty alike.

Whether or not a conviction for possessing a fake ID will become part of a teenager’s “permanent record” depends on a number of factors. Although judges are given the discretion to seal the records of some offenders whose infractions were committed before the age of 19, there is no guarantee they will do so. Short of a judicial sealing, a conviction for a crime will become part of a teenager’s permanent criminal history. 
 

For additional information visit www.brooklynda.org. To have your questions answered in a future column, send them to asktheda@brooklynda.org.