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There is something to be said for giving dumb kids a second chance. I've seen a lot of people whose lives have been altered for stupid stuff. The problem is that for some police officers, maybe who didn't go to college, getting arrested is just a daily thing. For a kid hoping to go to law school and walking home from the bar drunk, its a bit more than a slip up. I know the standard should be the same for everyone, but some people in positions of power view getting arrested as part of growing up or something you laugh about later. To a degree it can be, but it can also mess up the future plans of a person who is otherwise an all around good kid.
This isn't to relieve people of their responsibility to respect the law. The main point young people need to take away is that refraining from things that often get you in trouble isn't enough. Don't even put yourself in a situation where its possible to get into trouble, be it with an overzealous cop or a lying teenage girl.
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