Governor's Son Arrested at Bar With Fake ID

Using a fake ID to get into a bar isn't really big news, unless you are the child of an important politician. Joe Ducey, the 19 year-old son of Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, is learning that the hard way. On his Christmas break, Joe happened to be doing the wrong thing at the wrong place at the wrong time, and got himself arrested. Though he wasn't the target of a police investigation, he ended up caught in the dragnet.

Governor's Son Caught by Chance

Around 1 a.m. on December 16, a Scottsdale, Arizona, bike patrol officer noticed a young man trying to jump the fence of a local nightclub, called Boondock. Assuming the young man was hopping the back fence because he didn't have an ID that would get him through the front door, the police officer went into the club to interrogate the jumper, but ended up with a different fish on the hook.

Working with the club's security, they weren't able to find the jumper, but instead the security guard offered up Ducey, who had used a fake ID to enter the bar. It is unclear why he was actually inside the bar after security determined he was trying to use a fake ID, but perhaps those details will emerge later. Since curious minds will want to know, Ducey was using "a 'forged' South Carolina driver's license, with 'poor lamination' and plastic that came off when it was bent." According to police, Ducey was not drunk and was quite apologetic.

Some Elements of the Arrest Seem Inconsistent

Ducey was cuffed and arrested, though later released, presumably on his own recognizance. What's odd is that, according to one source, the usual consequences for trying to use a fake ID at a bar in Arizona are a bit different than what happened on this night. Usually, if the door hand suspects an ID is fraudulent, the bar will often give the person an opportunity to walk away. But if the patron tries to challenge the bar, police are called. Police will quite often also give the patron a chance to come clean. If the person does, he or she receives a ticket. First time offenders can usually get the ticket removed from their record by taking an alcohol diversion class. But in this instance, the bar did not contact police, and Ducey was actually in the bar when the cops showed up, and he was not given the chance to just walk away when he admitted the crime. So perhaps there is more to this story.

The punishment for this misdemeanor is a fine up to $2,500, six months in jail, or a six month suspension of his driver's license. Governor Ducey has already gone on record to say Joe will face the same legal and family consequences of any other person in the state. A crime of moral turpitude, this could prevent Joe from attending law school, but not from being a politician.

If you have been charged with using a fake ID, contact a local criminal defense attorney. A lawyer may be able to get the mark taken off your record if this is a first offense. Though it may not seem important to you now, you never know what future doors could be closed if the mark remains permanent.

Related Resources:

• Find a Criminal Defense Attorney Near You (FindLaw's Lawyer Directory)
• Can I Give My ID to a Friend? (FindLaw Blotter)
• Making a Fake Facebook Page is Identity Theft (FindLaw Blotter)