My 16 year old daughter was cited for underage drinking. She is pleading not guilt. Can she be kicked off of cheerleading

First, she did the right thing by pleading Not Guilty. The District Judge's office will send her a court date via mail. Second, she should know that she should NOT speak with anyone besides an experienced Attorney about this. I strongly suggest that you contact an Attorney who practices within this area to discuss your/her options and what the best possible outcome would be. I am assuming this is within Butler County? If so, please contact my office to discuss this matter in further detail as I represent clients within Beaver, Butler, Allegheny, Washington and surrounding counties on charges like these. 412.391.7999 [email protected] WWW.PITTSBURGHCRIMINALLAWFIRM.COM

Yes, she can. Whether she will or not depends on a number of things, one of which is how seriously the school takes the idea of fairness and due process. You start with the student handbook. What does it say? The next problem is the citation. Pleading "not guilty" was the only way to have this treated fairly. Having a local lawyer help you with both would be ideal. You are not entitled to appointed counsel for the school case and may not be for the underage citation. Contact local criminal defense lawyers about this.

The school certainly could remove her from her activity, and it will be completely separate from the Juvenile Justice proceedings. To protect her rights, her status in her activity, and her future, your best bet is to speak with a local attorney who knows Juvenile law and can more fully assess her matter. Good luck.

I agree with the other attorneys. Additionally, you should know that your daughter may be kicked off the cheerleading squad even if she beats the citation. Schools have a lot of discretion in doling out punishment for students. The mere accusation of underage drinking could justify the school's decision to prohibit your daughter from engaging in school-sponsored extra-curricular activities. It's not fair, but it happens.