No person shall offer or serve any alcoholic beverage
to a person under legal age in any public or quasi-public place within
the Borough of Closter. No person who has ownership or control of
any premises, whether public or quasi-public, or supervision of any
event, shall permit, suffer or allow the consumption of an alcoholic
beverage by a person under legal age in or upon any such premises
or at any such event within the Borough of Closter.
It is unlawful for any person under the legal age
to consume alcohol or to, without legal authority, knowingly possess
or knowingly consume an alcoholic beverage on private property.
The prohibition contained in Subsection B shall not prohibit an underaged 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 and consume alcoholic beverages.
As used in this section, "guardian" means a person
who has qualified as a guardian of the underaged person pursuant to
testamentary or court appointment. "Relative" means the underaged
person's grandparent, aunt or uncle, sibling, or any other person
related by blood or affinity.
Nothing contained in this Article IV shall prohibit possession of alcoholic beverages by any such underaged person while actually engaged in the performance of employment by a person who is licensed under Title 33 of the revised statutes of the State of New Jersey, or while actively engaged in the preparation of food while enrolled in a culinary arts or hotel management program at a county vocational school or post secondary educational institution; however, nothing in this section shall be construed to preclude the imposition of a penalty under this section, N.J.S.A. 33:1-21, 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.
Any violation of Article IV shall be punished by a fine of no less than $250 nor more than $1,000 for the first offense and no less than $350 nor more than $1,000 for the second offense.
In addition to the fine authorized for this offense,
the court may suspend or postpone for six months the driving privilege
of the defendant. Upon the conviction of any person, any suspension
or postponement of that person's driver's license, the court shall
forward a report to the Division of Motor Vehicles stating the first
and last day of the suspension or postponement imposed by the court
pursuant to this section. If a person at the time of the imposition
of a sentence is less than 17 years of age, 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.
If a person at the time of the imposition of a sentence
has a valid driver's license issued by this state, the court shall
immediately collect the license and forward it to the Division with
the report. If for any reason the license cannot be collected, the
court 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 court.
The court 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. 39:3-30. 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 a written notice shall not be a defense
to a subsequent charge of violation of N.J.S.A. 39:3-40.
If the person convicted under this article is not
a New Jersey resident, the court shall suspend or postpone, as appropriate,
the nonresident driving privilege of the person based on the age of
the person and submit to the Division the required report. The court
shall not collect the license of a nonresident convicted under this
section. Upon receipt of a report by the court, the Division shall
notify the appropriate officials in the licensing jurisdiction of
the suspension or postponement.