I got a citation for minor in possesion of alcohol, what sort of punishment am I facing in the state of Georgia (Gwinnett)?

Here are the laws ( I have listed the actual violation for which I think you were cited, the type of punishment, and what the punishment could be):

O.C.G.A. § 3-3-23

GEORGIA CODE
Copyright 2008 by The State of Georgia
All rights reserved.

*** Current through the 2008 Regular Session ***
TITLE 3.  ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES  
CHAPTER 3.  REGULATION OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES GENERALLY  
ARTICLE 2.  PROHIBITED ACTS
O.C.G.A. § 3-3-23  (2008)

§ 3-3-23.  Furnishing to, purchase of, or possession by persons under 21 years of age of alcoholic beverages; use of false identification; proper identification; dispensing, serving, selling, or handling by persons under 21 years of age in the course of employment; seller's actions upon receiving false identification


   (a) Except as otherwise authorized by law:

   (1) No person knowingly, directly or through another person, shall furnish, cause to be furnished, or permit any person in such person's employ to furnish any alcoholic beverage to any person under 21 years of age;

   (2) No person under 21 years of age shall purchase, attempt to purchase, or knowingly possess any alcoholic beverage;

   (3) No person under 21 years of age shall misrepresent such person's age in any manner whatever for the purpose of obtaining illegally any alcoholic beverage;

   (4) No person knowingly or intentionally shall act as an agent to purchase or acquire any alcoholic beverage for or on behalf of a person under 21 years of age; or

   (5) No person under 21 years of age shall misrepresent his or her identity or use any false identification for the purpose of purchasing or obtaining any alcoholic beverage.

(b) The prohibitions contained in paragraphs (1), (2), and (4) of subsection (a) of this Code section shall not apply with respect to the sale, purchase, or possession of alcoholic beverages for consumption:

   (1) For medical purposes pursuant to a prescription of a physician duly authorized to practice medicine in this state; or

   (2) At a religious ceremony.

(c) The prohibitions contained in paragraphs (1), (2), and (4) of subsection (a) of this Code section shall not apply with respect to the possession of alcoholic beverages for consumption by a person under 21 years of age when the parent or guardian of the person under 21 years of age gives the alcoholic beverage to the person and when possession is in the home of the parent or guardian and such parent or guardian is present.

(d) The prohibition contained in paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of this Code section shall not apply with respect to sale of alcoholic beverages by a person when such person has been furnished with proper identification showing that the person to whom the alcoholic beverage is sold is 21 years of age or older. For purposes of this subsection, the term "proper identification" means any document issued by a governmental agency containing a description of the person, such person's photograph, or both, and giving such person's date of birth and includes, without being limited to, a passport, military identification card, driver's license, or an identification card authorized under Code Sections 40-5-100 through 40-5-104. "Proper identification" shall not include a birth certificate and shall not include any traffic citation and complaint form.

(e) If such conduct is not otherwise prohibited pursuant to Code Section 3-3-24, nothing contained in this Code section shall be construed to prohibit any person under 21 years of age from:

   (1) Dispensing, serving, selling, or handling alcoholic beverages as a part of employment in any licensed establishment;

   (2) Being employed in any establishment in which alcoholic beverages are distilled or manufactured; or

   (3) Taking orders for and having possession of alcoholic beverages as a part of employment in a licensed establishment.

(f) Testimony by any person under 21 years of age, when given in an administrative or judicial proceeding against another person for violation of any provision of this Code section, shall not be used in any administrative or judicial proceedings brought against such testifying person under 21 years of age.

(g) Nothing in this Code section shall be construed to modify, amend, or supersede Chapter 11 of Title 15.

(h) In any case where a reasonable or prudent person could reasonably be in doubt as to whether or not the person to whom an alcoholic beverage is to be sold or otherwise furnished is actually 21 years of age or older, it shall be the duty of the person selling or otherwise furnishing such alcoholic beverage to request to see and to be furnished with proper identification as provided for in subsection (d) of this Code section in order to verify the age of such person; and the failure to make such request and verification in any case where the person to whom the alcoholic beverage is sold or otherwise furnished is less than 21 years of age may be considered by the trier of fact in determining whether the person selling or otherwise furnishing such alcoholic beverage did so knowingly.

(i) Any retailer or retail consumption dealer, or any person acting on behalf of such retailer or retail consumption dealer, who upon requesting proper identification from a person attempting to purchase alcoholic beverages from such retailer or retail consumption dealer pursuant to subsection (h) of this Code section is tendered a driver's license which indicates that such driver's license is falsified, is not the driver's license of the person presenting it, or that such person is under the age of 21 years, the person to whom said license is tendered shall be authorized to either write down the name, address, and license number or to seize and retain such driver's license and in either event shall immediately thereafter summon a law enforcement officer who shall be authorized to seize the license either at the scene or at such time as the license can be located. The procedures and rules connected with the retention of such license by the officer shall be the same as those provided for the acceptance of a driver's license as bail on arrest for traffic offenses pursuant to Code Section 17-6-11.

HISTORY: Code 1933, § 5A-510, enacted by Ga. L. 1981, p. 1269, § 22; Ga. L. 1985, p. 753, §§ 1, 3; Ga. L. 1985, p. 782, §§ 1, 2; Ga. L. 1986, p. 789, §§ 1, 2; Ga. L. 1988, p. 1372, § 1; Ga. L. 1989, p. 1227, § 1; Ga. L. 1997, p. 1085, § 1.

 

§ 3-3-9.  Penalty for violations of prohibitions in chapter


   (a) It is unlawful for any person knowingly and intentionally to violate any prohibition contained in this chapter.

(b) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, any person who violates any prohibition contained in this chapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

HISTORY: Code 1933, § 5A-9901, enacted by Ga. L. 1980, p. 1573, § 1.

 

§ 17-10-3.  Punishment for misdemeanors generally


   (a) Except as otherwise provided by law, every crime declared to be a misdemeanor shall be punished as follows:

   (1) By a fine not to exceed $1,000.00 or by confinement in the county or other jail, county correctional institution, or such other places as counties may provide for maintenance of county inmates, for a total term not to exceed 12 months, or both;

   (2) By confinement under the jurisdiction of the Board of Corrections in a state probation detention center or diversion center pursuant to Code Sections 42-8-35.4 and 42-8-35.5, for a determinate term of months which shall not exceed a total term of 12 months; or

   (3) If the crime was committed by an inmate within the confines of a state correctional institution, by confinement under the jurisdiction of the Board of Corrections in a state correctional institution or such other institution as the Department of Corrections may direct for a term which shall not exceed 12 months.

(b) Either the punishment provided in paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection (a) of this Code section, but not both, may be imposed in the discretion of the sentencing judge. Misdemeanor punishment imposed under either paragraph may be subject to suspension or probation. The sentencing courts shall retain jurisdiction to amend, modify, alter, suspend, or probate sentences under paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of this Code section at any time, but in no instance shall any sentence under the paragraph be modified in a manner to place a county inmate under the jurisdiction of the Board of Corrections, except as provided in paragraph (2) of subsection (a) of this Code section.

(c) In all misdemeanor cases in which, upon conviction, a six-month sentence or less is imposed, it is within the authority and discretion of the sentencing judge to allow the sentence to be served on weekends by weekend confinement or during the nonworking hours of the defendant. A weekend shall commence and shall end in the discretion of the sentencing judge, and the nonworking hours of the defendant shall be determined in the discretion of the sentencing judge; provided, however, that the judge shall retain plenary control of the defendant at all times during the sentence period. A weekend term shall be counted as serving two days of the full sentence. Confinement during the nonworking hours of a defendant during any day may be counted as serving a full day of the sentence.

(d) In addition to or instead of any other penalty provided for the punishment of a misdemeanor involving a traffic offense, or punishment of a municipal ordinance involving a traffic offense, with the exception of habitual offenders sentenced under Code Section 17-10-7, a judge may impose any one or more of the following sentences:

   (1) Reexamination by the Department of Driver Services when the judge has good cause to believe that the convicted licensed driver is incompetent or otherwise not qualified to be licensed;

   (2) Attendance at, and satisfactory completion of, a driver improvement course meeting standards approved by the court;

   (3) Within the limits of the authority of the charter powers of a municipality or the punishment prescribed by law in other courts, imprisonment at times specified by the court or release from imprisonment upon such conditions and at such times as may be specified; or

   (4) Probation or suspension of all or any part of a penalty upon such terms and conditions as may be prescribed by the judge. The conditions may include driving with no further motor vehicle violations during a specified time unless the driving privileges have been or will be otherwise suspended or revoked by law; reporting periodically to the court or a specified agency; and performing, or refraining from performing, such acts as may be ordered by the judge.

(e) Any sentence imposed under subsection (d) of this Code section shall be reported to the Department of Driver Services as prescribed by law.

(f) The Department of Corrections shall lack jurisdiction to supervise misdemeanor offenders, except when the sentence is made concurrent to a probated felony sentence or when the sentence is accepted pursuant to Code Section 42-9-71. Except as provided in this subsection, the Department of Corrections shall lack jurisdiction to confine misdemeanor offenders.

(g) This Code section will have no effect upon any offender convicted of a misdemeanor offense prior January 1, 2001, and sentenced to confinement under the jurisdiction of the Board of Corrections or to the supervision of the Department of Corrections.

HISTORY: Orig. Code 1863, § 4209; Ga. L. 1865-66, p. 233, § 2; Code 1868, §§ 4245, 4608; Code 1873, §§ 4310, 4705; Ga. L. 1878-79, p. 54, § 1; Code 1882, §§ 4310, 4705; Ga. L. 1895, p. 63, § 2; Penal Code 1895, § 1039; Ga. L. 1908, p. 1119, § 1; Penal Code 1910, § 1065; Code 1933, § 27-2506; Ga. L. 1956, p. 161, § 4; Ga. L. 1957, p. 477, § 5; Ga. L. 1964, p. 485, § 1; Ga. L. 1970, p. 236, § 10; Ga. L. 1972, p. 600, § 1; Ga. L. 1974, p. 361, § 1; Ga. L. 1974, p. 631, § 1; Ga. L. 1976, p. 210, § 1; Ga. L. 1985, p. 283, § 1; Ga. L. 1992, p. 3221, § 2; Ga. L. 1997, p. 1526, § 1; Ga. L. 2000, p. 1643, § 1; Ga. L. 2001, p. 1030, § 2; Ga. L. 2002, p. 415, § 17; Ga. L. 2005, p. 334, § 7-4/HB 501.