Once a youth under the age of twenty-one is caught consuming any alcohol at all, they are given a citation to appear in court. In Anchorage, court is held at the adult Courthouse and falls under the realm of district court. Minors are to report to court with their parents and come before a District Court Judge. Once in front of the judge, they are given the charges
against them with a summary of the circumstances sin their case. Then they are asked how they would like to plead. The choices are guilty, not guilty, or no contest. If the youth pleads not guilty, they are advised to hire an attorney and given a date for trial call. The rest funs just like any other trial in District Court. If the youth pleads guilty or no contest, they are
sentenced by the judge at that time. For a first offense, the youth must complete an alcohol education class and file completion of that program with the court. There is a cost for this class. They will also be on probation until age 21. If they complete their requirements and do not have any future offenses, their conviction will be “set aside” once they turn 21. If they do not complete the requirements or re-offend, the conviction may become a "conviction of record”. Either way, this is not sealed as many think simply because the youth is a juvenile. This information is accessible to future employers, university requirements, etc. When completing college apps, job apps, the youth will be asked if they’ve ever been convicted of a crime. Again, this is not a juvenile offense. It is dealt with in adult court.