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 __________________________________________Ask
the DA
Now that the school
season has started again, I think it is important to remind parents
about the consequences which can result if their teenage children
are found in possession of fake IDs.
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.
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