[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough
of Madison 4-22-2013 by Ord. No. 8-2013. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Alcoholic beverages — See Ch. 56.
A.
Any person under the legal age to purchase alcoholic beverages who
knowingly possesses, without legal authority, or who knowingly consumes
any alcoholic beverage on private property shall be subject, upon
conviction, to a fine of $250 for the first offense and $350 for any
subsequent offense.
B.
The Municipal Judge may, in addition to any other sentence imposed for the offense, suspend or postpone, for up to six months, the driving privilege of the defendant. Upon the conviction of any person under this section, Chapter 233, the Municipal Judge shall forward a report to the Division of Motor Vehicles (the "Division") stating the first and last day of the suspension or postponement period imposed by the Municipal Judge pursuant to this section, Chapter 233. If a person is less than 17 years of age at the time of the imposition of a sentence, the period of license postponement, including a suspension or postponement of the privilege of operating a motorized bicycle, shall commence on the day the sentence is imposed and shall run for a period of six months after the person reaches the age of 17 years.
C.
If a person, at the time of the imposition of a sentence, has a valid
New Jersey driver's license, the Municipal Judge shall immediately
collect the license and forward it to the Division, along with the
report. If for any reason the license cannot be collected, the Municipal
Judge shall include in the report the complete name, address, date
of birth, eye color, and sex of the person, as well as the first and
last date of the license suspension period imposed by the Municipal
Judge.
D.
The Municipal Judge shall inform the person orally and in writing
that, if the person is convicted of operating a motor vehicle during
the period of license suspension or postponement, the person shall
be subject to the penalties set forth in N.J.S.A. 39:3-40. A person
shall be required to acknowledge receipt of the written notice in
writing. Failure to receive a written notice or failure to acknowledge,
in writing, the receipt of written notice shall not be a defense to
a subsequent charge of violation of N.J.S.A. 39:3-40.
E.
If the person convicted under this section, Chapter 233, is not a New Jersey resident, the Municipal Judge shall suspend or postpone, as appropriate, the nonresident driving privilege of the person based on the age of the person and submit the required report to the Division. The Municipal Judge shall not collect the license of a nonresident convicted under this section, Chapter 233. Upon receipt of a report from the Municipal Judge, the Division shall notify the appropriate officials in the licensing jurisdiction of the suspension or postponement.
(1)
The Municipal Judge shall have the discretion to waive the penalty provisions of Subsections A, B and C above if the defendant is enrolled in an educational institution that has imposed administrative sanctions and penalties against the defendant for the offense(s).
[Added 5-29-2013 by Ord. No. 16-2013]
F.
Exceptions:
(1)
Religious observance, presence of a parent or guardian. Nothing in Chapter 233 shall prohibit an underage person from consuming or possessing an alcoholic beverage in connection with a religious observance, ceremony or rite, or consuming or possessing an alcoholic beverage in the presence of, and with the permission of, a parent, guardian or relative who has attained the legal age to purchase or consume alcoholic beverages. As used in this section, Chapter 233, "guardian" means a person who has qualified as a guardian of the underage person pursuant to testamentary court appointment, or other applicable laws, as determined by the Municipal Judge, and "relative" means an underage person's grandparent, aunt, uncle, sibling, or any other person related by blood or affinity.
(2)
Performance of employment. Nothing in Chapter 233 shall prohibit possession of alcoholic beverages by any person while engaged in the performance of employment pursuant to an employment permit issued by the Director of the Division of the Alcoholic Beverage Commission, or for a bona fide hotel or restaurant, in accordance with the provisions of N.J.S.A. 33:1-26, or while actively engaged in the preparation of food while enrolled in a culinary arts or hotel management program at a county vocation school or post-secondary educational institution; however, nothing in Chapter 233 shall be construed to preclude the imposition of a penalty under these subsections, N.J.S.A. 33:1-81, or any other section of law against a person who is convicted of unlawful alcoholic beverage activity on or at premises licensed for the sale of alcoholic beverages.
(3)
An underage person and one or two other persons, if applicable, shall
be immune from prosecution under this chapter prohibiting any person
under the legal age who, without legal authority, knowingly possesses
or knowingly consumes an alcoholic beverage on private property if:
[Added 5-29-2013 by Ord. No. 16-2013]
(a)
One of the underage persons called 9-1-1 and reported that another
underage person was in need of medical assistance due to alcohol consumption;
(b)
The underage person who called 9-1-1 and, if applicable, one
or two other persons acting in concert with the underage person who
called 9-1-1, provided each of their names to the 9-1-1 operator;
(c)
The underage person was the first person to make the 9-1-1 report;
and
(d)
The underage person and, if applicable, one or two other persons
acting in concert with the underage person who made the 9-1-1 call,
remained on the scene with the person under the legal age in need
of medical assistance until assistance arrived and cooperated with
medical assistance and law enforcement personnel on the scene.
