Ocean City Student Defense Lawyer
Even while you are on spring or summer vacation, you are still representing your college and university with the actions you choose to take. Unfortunately, this means that if you are accused of breaking the law while in Ocean City, you may end up facing not only consequences in the criminal justice system, but also sanctions from your school conduct board or council once you return to class.
If you are currently dealing with legal or school disciplinary trouble as a college or university student, or if your child is going through this kind of situation, you should strongly consider seeking help with your case from an experienced Ocean City student defense lawyer. A qualified defense attorney familiar with the unique elements of student conduct hearings and criminal trials could be a key ally to have by your side as you fight for a positive outcome to your case in either or both respects.
Common Charges that Students in Ocean City Are Charged With
For the most part, student codes of conduct at colleges and universities focus on matters and behaviors that occur on or immediately around campus. However, that does not mean that students who get arrested off-campus should not expect their school to find out about their trouble with the law in fairly short order, even if their alleged actions had nothing to do with school and occurred in a different town or state.
Even if illegal actions occur away from campus, they still often constitute a conduct code violation, which could mean disciplinary proceedings from both local law enforcement and a student conduct council or board back home. Some of the most common allegations against students that defense attorneys help manage in Ocean City include:
- Underage drinking, DUI, and/or public intoxication
- Possession of controlled substances
- Theft
- Disorderly conduct
- Assault
- Rape and/or sexual offense
Addressing School Disciplinary Proceedings
No matter what school a student arrested in Ocean City attends, the disciplinary proceedings they might face from that institution will work very differently from any criminal prosecution they might be dealing with at the same time. To start, the outcome of one case has no bearing on the outcome of the other, so even if a student is not convicted on their criminal charges, they could still face trouble at school for that same alleged action.
Even more importantly, students who are subject to school disciplinary hearings do not have the same constitutional rights during those hearings as they would in a criminal case. They may not be presumed innocent of their allegations against them, may not have many—or any—opportunities to present exculpatory evidence, and will almost certainly be subject to a less strict standard of proof than the “beyond a reasonable doubt” standard applied to criminal charges.
Finally, while students can retain private legal counsel to help them prepare for school disciplinary proceedings, they generally have no legal right to outside counsel, and any attorney they hire will almost never be allowed to accompany them into a school conduct hearing. That being said, working with a skilled student defense lawyer in Ocean City could still be crucial to minimizing the repercussions of a criminal accusation in both criminal court and student conduct proceedings.
Get in Touch with an Ocean City Student Defense Attorney
Colleges and universities take the conduct of their students very seriously, even while those students are away from campus. In light of that, any student who finds themselves facing criminal charges in Ocean City should think twice before trying to fight those allegations without guidance from a legal professional.
Once retained, your dedicated Ocean City student defense lawyer could work tirelessly and tenaciously to pursue the best possible case resolution on your or your child’s behalf. Learn more by calling today.