Quinnipiac University Student Defense Lawyer
Have you been detained or arrested by Quinnipiac University Public Safety officers? A problem with Quinnipiac Public Safety officers can quickly escalate into a full-blown criminal arrest by the State of Connecticut. As any of the top Quinnipiac, Hamden, New Haven, or Meriden criminal lawyers would tell you, getting arrested by the Hamden or New Haven Police Departments is serious and can have long-lasting consequences on your permanent record. If you are arrested at Quinnipiac University’s Mount Carmel campus, York Hill campus, or North Haven campus, then you and your parents need to take your situation very seriously because an arrest or conviction can show up on your employment background checks and may prevent you from getting a job. This is doubly important for students who are too embarrassed or scared to call their parents to ask for help in hiring a top Quinnipiac / QU criminal lawyer. Don’t take the risk – reach out to your family and get in touch with a top Hamden Connecticut criminal lawyer or top Quinnipiac criminal lawyer attorney to assist you with your Quinnipiac arrest, Quinnipiac student conduct hearing, or Quinnipiac expulsion hearing.
The Quinnipiac Public Safety Department
As any of the best Quinnipiac criminal lawyers and Connecticut school discipline attorneys know, Quinnipiac does not have its own police department. Instead, Quinnipiac University employs its own Public Safety officers who protect the campus, but do not have the power to make arrests. These Public Safety officers patrol the campus and help keep it safe. However, when the situation calls for it, QU Public Safety officers often call in the Hamden, New Haven, and North Haven Police departments for assistance, especially when Quinnipiac student safety is at risk, or there has been damage to Quinnipiac property. The Hamden Connecticut police force alone has over 100 sworn officers, most of whom assist with arrests at Quinnipiac’s Mount Carmel and York Hill campuses. Depending on the location of your arrest, a Quinnipiac student arrest will be likely be prosecuted in a Connecticut Superior Courthouse in Meriden or New Haven, just like any other misdemeanor or felony arrest would be prosecuted. The criminal courts offer no special treatment for Quinnipiac University students or alumni, so if you are arrested at Quinnipiac, you should consult a top Meriden or New Haven Connecticut criminal lawyer attorney as soon as possible.
The Most Common QU Arrests
Just as with any other college campus, the best Hamden and New Haven Connecticut criminal lawyers and attorneys might see arrests at QU / Quinnipiac University for assaults, breach of peace, disorderly conduct, marijuana possession, DUI / DWI, minors in possession of alcohol, and possession of drug paraphernalia. And as with any other college that offers Greek life to its students, Quinnipiac’s bustling fraternity and sorority scene prompts concerns for hazing and sexual assault / rape prevention. A top Connecticut criminal lawyer will want to make sure that Hamden Police and New Haven prosecutors are not unreasonably tough on arrests involving QU / Quinnipiac students, as these prosecutors may want to send a message to the local communities that reckless and destructive behavior by Quinnipiac students will not be tolerated.
Quinnipiac Arrests for Under 21 DUIs / DWIs
One of the most common arrests for Quinnipiac students is for DUI / DWI, often referred to as “Under 21 DUI / DWI” because the driver is not yet old enough to drink or possess alcohol. The standard for any Quinnipiac student under 21 to get arrested for a DUI is just about zero tolerance: any under 21 driver with blood alcohol content (BAC) of .02 or above is considered intoxicated. Depending on your body weight and height, this equates to about one beer before driving. So if you are Quinnipiac student arrested for DUI / DWI, you should get specific advice from a top Quinnipiac Connecticut criminal lawyer, as your decision to submit to or refuse a breathalyzer test can have detrimental consequences on your driver’s license and insurance premiums. Getting arrested for an underage or Under 21 DUI / DWI can be a jarring experience for a Quinnipiac student. The first thing you need to do is call your parents. Next, you should call a top Connecticut DUI / DWI criminal lawyer to learn how they can help you get your Quinnipiac DUI / DWI resolved or dismissed as quickly as possible. To learn more about how to fight your Quinnipiac DUI / DWI arrest, click this link.
Quinnipiac Marijuana Possession Arrests & Alcohol Possession Tickets
The use of alcohol and marijuana is very popular among today’s college students. Despite the fact that Connecticut recently decriminalized certain amounts of marijuana possession—reducing it from a misdemeanor to an infraction under C.G.S. § 21a-279a—any top Connecticut drug / marijuana lawyer who fights Quinnipiac student arrests will advise you that it remains illegal to possess less than one-half once of marijuana. Additionally, the possession of drug paraphernalia is also illegal. This includes grinders, bowls, bongs, and vaporizers.
If you plead guilty by mail to possession of marijuana or drug paraphernalia under CGS 21a-279a, it will remain on your record for the rest of your life. This means it will come up on every employment background check and can be a deciding factor on whether or not an employer hires you. This makes it even more important to hire a top Hamden, New Haven, or Meriden criminal lawyer to fight your Quinnipiac marijuana possession arrest, or your Quinnipiac drug paraphernalia ticket. Click here to learn how to effectively fight a Connecticut marijuana ticket. Similarly, if you receive a summons for Possession of Alcohol by a Minor, do not mail the ticket in with a guilty plea until you fully understand the consequences on your permanent record and driving record. Instead click here to learn how to fight a Connecticut Minor in Possession of Alcohol ticket.
One additional concern for marijuana possession tickets. Top Connecticut marijuana possession criminal lawyers have seen a trend of students getting marijuana tickets, and then pleading guilty and paying by mail without telling their parents. They do not realize that the guilty plea tarnishes their permanent record. What they also do not realize is that these convictions and guilty pleas by mail to marijuana possession in Connecticut can be reversed. How? Click here to learn how to reverse a guilty plea by mail to a marijuana possession or alcohol possession ticket.
Quinnipiac MDMA “Molly” Arrests
With the rise in popularity of music festivals and electronic dance music, there has been a rise in arrests of college students possessing MDMA, more commonly known as “Molly.” If a Quinnipiac student is arrested for MDMA or Molly, they can be charged with illegal possession of hallucinogens under C.G.S. § 21a-279, or illegal possession with intent to sell under C.G.S. § 21a-277. As the best New Haven, Meriden, Milford, and Middletown criminal attorneys and lawyers will tell you, prosecutors have no qualms locking up a college student if they feel the situation calls for it. Additionally, many of these Connecticut Molly arrests, as well as hallucinogen and narcotics possession arrests, carry mandatory minimum jail sentences upon conviction. So if you are a Quinnipiac student arrested for possession of hallucinogens like MDMA, “Molly,” Connecticut cocaine arrests, or arrested for possession of narcotics with intent to sell, it is crucial that you contact a top Hamden, New Haven, North Haven criminal attorney to learn if you can get your drug charges dismissed as quickly and cost-effectively as possible. Click here to learn more about fighting your Connecticut drug possession or intent to sell arrest.
Quinnipiac Breach of Peace and Disorderly Conduct Arrests
Fights between college students are not uncommon, especially when there are alcohol or drugs involved. Often, Quinnipiac University Public Safety officers can handle these disputes internally without escalating them to criminal arrests at Quinnipiac for Disorderly Conduct or Breach of Peace in the Second Degree. However, more serious fights and assaults require the involvement of the Hamden or New Haven Connecticut police departments. Quinnipiac students arrested for fights, whether on Quinnipiac’s Mount Carmel, York Hill, or North Haven campuses, or while out at the local bars in New Haven, can be arrested for Breach of Peace, Assault or Disorderly Conduct. As the best Connecticut criminal attorneys can tell you, both Breach of Peace and Disorderly Conduct laws are broadly written statutes, designed to arrest people who engage in threatening, alarming, or offensive conduct that is not as violent as an assault. Follow these links to learn how to fight Quinnipiac arrests for Disorderly Conduct or Quinnipiac arrests for Breach of Peace. Finally, in cases when a Quinnipiac student does not comply with the orders of a Quinnipiac public safety officer or a police officer, they can be arrested for Interference with Police / Resisting Arrest charges at Quinnipiac. Click here to learn more about fighting a Quinnipiac student arrest for Interference with Police Officer .
Fighting University of Quinnipiac / QU Fake ID Arrests
With the abundance of bars and nightclubs in the Hamden and New Haven Connecticut areas, it is no surprise that Quinnipiac students can gain access to these establishments with the help of Fake IDs. Unfortunately, most Quinnipiac students do not appreciate that getting arrested for Possessing a Fake ID in Connecticut results in a felony charge. ( Learn more about Fake ID arrests in Connecticut here). Even worse, a Quinnipiac student can get arrested just for having a Fake ID in their wallet, even if they never show it to a bouncer or cop. As many of the best Stamford, New Haven, and Meriden Connecticut criminal lawyers well know, a Fake ID arrest can result in a charge of Forgery in the Second Degree, carrying up to 5 years of jail time and a felony criminal record if not handled correctly. Click here to learn how to fight QU Fake ID arrests and Quinnipiac Forgery in the Second Degree arrests.
Fighting Quinnipiac School Discipline Proceedings & QU Expulsion Hearings
Quinnipiac University’s student handbook lays out the set of rules and procedures for its undergraduate and graduate students. Quinnipiac University may discipline a student for any misconduct on QU property. Additionally, Quinnipiac University’s Student Code of Conduct process grants QU jurisdiction over student conduct that occurs off campus. This means that if you are arrested or accused of misconduct while you are a Quinnipiac University student, then you can be subject to discipline from QU, regardless of the outcome of your criminal case. Top Connecticut college and university school discipline lawyers have often seen a student’s criminal charges dismissed, while the school discipline process still lingers and punishes the student, notwithstanding the successful criminal court disposition.
You should know that Quinnipiac students have fundamental fairness rights under Quinnipiac University’s Student Code of Conduct, including the right to have an attorney advise you during certain stages of the proceedings, and the right to appeal Quinnipiac’s student discipline decision. So if you find yourself facing a Quinnipiac discipline or expulsion hearing, be sure to contact a top Quinnipiac University or QU school discipline lawyer. Click here for a more in-depth look at challenging Connecticut school discipline and expulsion hearings.
Quinnipiac Hazing, Sex Assault & Rape Investigations
As Greek life continues to thrive on college campuses nationwide, so do arrests and investigations for hazing, rape, and sexual assault. These topics are hot-button issues on college campuses these days, particularly after Rolling Stone Magazine was forced to retract a story that appears to have falsely accused a UVA fraternity and its members of rape and sexual assault. A similar case arose years ago at Duke University that illustrates how false rape accusations on a college campus can haunt people forever.
As the top Quinnipiac University and Connecticut hazing criminal lawyers can tell you, there are usually two sides to most allegations of rape and sex assault, and there are rarely eyewitnesses. That is when you need the immediate counsel of a top Hamden Connecticut or Quinnipiac University sexual assault or rape lawyer attorney to help you take the necessary steps to preserve all evidence that can help you demonstrate that the sexual conduct was consensual. Always remember that whatever you say to Quinnipiac school officials or Hamden and New Haven Police Officers investigating rape or sexual assault allegations can be used against you. Be sure to contact a top Quinnipiac Connecticut criminal lawyer immediately if you are suspected of hazing, rape, or sexual assault.
Contact a QU / Quinnipiac University Criminal Lawyer Today
If you are a Quinnipiac University student arrested, being investigated by school officials or police, or being subjected to school discipline or expulsion proceedings, you should contact a Connecticut criminal or school discipline lawyer at Mark Sherman Law today. As difficult as it may be to share the news with your family, you need to obtain help as soon as possible. The stakes are just too high—as it’s your future and permanent academic record that are in jeopardy of being compromised by a criminal arrest or outright false accusations. The team of criminal lawyers at the Mark Sherman Law represents clients in all types of arrests and investigations on all 3 Quinnipiac University campuses. We fully appreciate that your reputation is everything, and how important it is to protect it. We will work relentlessly with you and your family to achieve the best result we can. Call us today at (203) 358-4700 for a consultation.