Valparaiso College Student Defense Lawyer

Trusted College Student Defense Attorney in Valparaiso, IN

A Valparaiso college student defense lawyer can help students who have been accused of a crime while in school in Northwest Indiana. An arrest during college can rapidly put a student’s education, housing, internship, and career plans in jeopardy. 

College students at Valparaiso University, Ivy Tech Community College, and other local campuses may face charges involving underage drinking, drug possession, assault, theft, or operating while intoxicated (OWI). Blankenship Law, LLC, defends college students and families in criminal investigations and charges in Valparaiso and all of Porter County.

Hire a College Student Defense Lawyer

Blankenship Law, LLC, provides criminal defense representation to college students in Valparaiso and other Northwest Indiana communities. The attorneys at Blankenship Law, LLC, are former prosecutors who have elected to focus their practice on criminal defense. Blankenship Law, LLC, represents college students in cases involving alcohol offenses, drug crimes, fake ID, theft, violence, and OWI-related offenses.

Blankenship Law, LLC, works with students and parents to manage the criminal court process and helps clients to understand the academic and career ramifications of an arrest or investigation that takes place on or near a college campus.

Campus Investigations and Criminal Charges Are Not the Same Process

College students in Indiana are often shocked to discover that a university disciplinary investigation is a completely separate matter from a criminal prosecution in Indiana courts. A student can be subject to school disciplinary proceedings even if criminal charges are never filed or are ultimately dismissed. 

Colleges and universities typically have their own conduct policies and standards of proof by which they review an allegation involving alcohol, drugs, violence, harassment, or academic misconduct. 

Schools can also make their own decisions regarding housing restrictions, suspension, probation, and other sanctions, independent of the criminal court process. Students at Valparaiso University or other nearby schools can therefore face both educational and criminal consequences as a result of the same incident or allegation.

Criminal Allegations That Can Arise From Off-Campus Parties and Housing

Off-campus parties, apartment buildings, and student housing complexes can sometimes result in criminal investigations of college students. When responding to noise complaints, fights, suspected drug dealing, or alcohol use, police officers may start an investigation that involves multiple students at once.

The students may be accused of underage drinking, battery, marijuana possession, property damage, theft, or disorderly conduct, among other crimes, depending on the circumstances. Some students may be accused of a crime even if they did not do anything more than be present in the same place where a crime is believed to have happened. 

A student may later regret having said something to a police officer or having posted about a party on social media when that person becomes involved in a criminal case in Porter County involving college students.

Why Timing Can Matter in a College Student Criminal Defense Case?

Timing is important in a college student’s criminal defense case because schools, prosecutors, and law enforcement agencies will often act quickly after an arrest is made or an investigation is initiated. Timely collection of evidence, such as surveillance video, witness interviews, or text messages, may be more difficult as time goes on. 

Students may also have pressing deadlines they need to meet, including court dates, housing decisions, and university disciplinary actions. In some cases, early intervention may help to avoid a formal charge by clearing up a miscommunication. The early review of a case may also uncover potential constitutional violations based on searches, questioning, identification procedures, or other issues during the investigation.

FAQs

Can a College Student Face Charges for Sharing Prescription Medication?

College students may become the target of criminal charges if they share prescription medication with another person, even if the medication was legally prescribed to them. Indiana Code § 35-48-4-7 makes it a crime to knowingly deliver certain controlled substances without authority. 

The specifics of a case could result in misdemeanor or felony drug offenses, affecting a student’s criminal history and prospects for future education.

How Common Are Alcohol-Related Injuries Among College Students?

Alcohol-related injuries continue to impact a significant number of college students in the United States every year. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism estimates that 1,519 college students ages 18 to 24 die each year from alcohol-related unintentional injuries, such as motor vehicle crashes. 

Alcohol-related incidents can also result in criminal investigations, university disciplinary processes, and potential civil liability concerns, depending on the specific facts of the allegations.

What Courts Handle College Student Criminal Cases in Valparaiso?

Collegiate defendants in Valparaiso have their criminal cases handled in Porter County, depending on the charges and where they took place. If the Valparaiso Police Department or another local agency makes an arrest, the student may be required to attend hearings in Porter County Court for misdemeanor or felony charges. 

Driving under the influence, theft, drug, or battery charges are likely to move fast and could also result in parallel disciplinary action by your college or university.

How Frequently Do Colleges Address Alcohol-Related Student Conduct Issues?

Colleges and universities across the United States are often faced with disciplinary issues involving alcohol consumption and student misconduct. Per the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, an estimated 696,000 students ages 18 to 24 reported being assaulted by another student who was drinking in 2021. 

Universities can and do conduct internal investigations for incidents involving alcohol use separately from any potential criminal action in court, even in the absence of a criminal conviction for the student facing allegations.

Contact a Valparaiso College Student Defense Lawyer

Accusations of criminal conduct can have an immediate impact on a college student’s education, reputation, housing, and future job prospects. Blankenship Law, LLC, has experience representing college students and their families in Valparaiso and throughout Northwest Indiana in criminal investigations and in court. 

Blankenship Law, LLC, defends Valparaiso University, Ivy Tech Community College, Purdue University Northwest, and the University of Notre Dame students charged with alcohol-related offenses, drug crimes, theft charges, and other criminal offenses. The firm offers criminal defense strategies and advocates for its clients in court and in responding to university discipline issues. Schedule a consultation today to hire a college student defense lawyer.