Have Hosting Parents of HS Parties Ever Been Charged?

[Anonymous]

What were the consequences?

[Anonymous]

It's a criminal citation. MoCo police absolutely cites people for this. Furnishing alcohol to one minor carries a $2,500 fine. Furnishing alcohol to each subsequent minor carries a fine of $5,000 each. So if that party had five kids drinking, that's $22,500 in fines.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's a criminal citation. MoCo police absolutely cites people for this. Furnishing alcohol to one minor carries a $2,500 fine. Furnishing alcohol to each subsequent minor carries a fine of $5,000 each. So if that party had five kids drinking, that's $22,500 in fines.

It use to just be $2500 .. But parents in Potomac paid that without hesitation so the new law above was crested.

[Anonymous]

These parents were charged:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/montgomery-couple-accused-of-furnishing-beer-to-kids-and-assaulting-responding-cops/2014/01/06/42f4f2e2-7714-11e3-b1c5-739e63e9c9a7_story.html

But then the police dropped the charges because the judge decided that the police were not lawfully allowed into the backyard, and so the evidence the police had was inadmissible:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/damascus-couple-accused-of-hosting-teen-keg-party-has-charges-dropped/2014/11/17/521f1818-6e82-11e4-893f-86bd390a3340_story.html

The defense lawyer says that she has been involved in a dozen cases where the police charged the parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a criminal citation. MoCo police absolutely cites people for this. Furnishing alcohol to one minor carries a $2,500 fine. Furnishing alcohol to each subsequent minor carries a fine of $5,000 each. So if that party had five kids drinking, that's $22,500 in fines.

It use to just be $2500 .. But parents in Potomac paid that without hesitation so the new law above was crested.

Really? A state law was changed just because of Potomac?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a criminal citation. MoCo police absolutely cites people for this. Furnishing alcohol to one minor carries a $2,500 fine. Furnishing alcohol to each subsequent minor carries a fine of $5,000 each. So if that party had five kids drinking, that's $22,500 in fines.

It use to just be $2500 .. But parents in Potomac paid that without hesitation so the new law above was crested.

Really? A state law was changed just because of Potomac?

Yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a criminal citation. MoCo police absolutely cites people for this. Furnishing alcohol to one minor carries a $2,500 fine. Furnishing alcohol to each subsequent minor carries a fine of $5,000 each. So if that party had five kids drinking, that's $22,500 in fines.

It use to just be $2500 .. But parents in Potomac paid that without hesitation so the new law above was crested.

Really? A state law was changed just because of Potomac?

Yes.

Could you please provide some evidence to support your assertion?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a criminal citation. MoCo police absolutely cites people for this. Furnishing alcohol to one minor carries a $2,500 fine. Furnishing alcohol to each subsequent minor carries a fine of $5,000 each. So if that party had five kids drinking, that's $22,500 in fines.

It use to just be $2500 .. But parents in Potomac paid that without hesitation so the new law above was crested.

Really? A state law was changed just because of Potomac?

Yes.

Could you please provide some evidence to support your assertion?

8:46 again, who first questioned it. Is used to work for the General Assembly and its unusual to state-wide legislation because of one area. Not impossible, but unusual. The bill that increased the fine was SB 166 in 2008. From $1,000 to $2,500 for the first offense and $1,500 to $5,000 for each subsequent offense. There were six sponsors of the bill, but none was from Montgomery County. There were about 30 sponsors in the cross filed House bill, which does include a few MoCo delegates, but not all. It certainly was not a Montgomery County Delegation bill.

A task force report came out the next year, recommending that the penalty be changed from civil to criminal and include jail time, and legislation was introduced in 2009, but that portion did not pass.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a criminal citation. MoCo police absolutely cites people for this. Furnishing alcohol to one minor carries a $2,500 fine. Furnishing alcohol to each subsequent minor carries a fine of $5,000 each. So if that party had five kids drinking, that's $22,500 in fines.

It use to just be $2500 .. But parents in Potomac paid that without hesitation so the new law above was crested.

Really? A state law was changed just because of Potomac?

Yes.

Could you please provide some evidence to support your assertion?

8:46 again, who first questioned it. Is used to work for the General Assembly and its unusual to state-wide legislation because of one area. Not impossible, but unusual. The bill that increased the fine was SB 166 in 2008. From $1,000 to $2,500 for the first offense and $1,500 to $5,000 for each subsequent offense. There were six sponsors of the bill, but none was from Montgomery County. There were about 30 sponsors in the cross filed House bill, which does include a few MoCo delegates, but not all. It certainly was not a Montgomery County Delegation bill.

A task force report came out the next year, recommending that the penalty be changed from civil to criminal and include jail time, and legislation was introduced in 2009, but that portion did not pass.

Forgive my typos please. On an iPhone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

8:46 again, who first questioned it. Is used to work for the General Assembly and its unusual to state-wide legislation because of one area. Not impossible, but unusual. The bill that increased the fine was SB 166 in 2008. From $1,000 to $2,500 for the first offense and $1,500 to $5,000 for each subsequent offense. There were six sponsors of the bill, but none was from Montgomery County. There were about 30 sponsors in the cross filed House bill, which does include a few MoCo delegates, but not all. It certainly was not a Montgomery County Delegation bill.

A task force report came out the next year, recommending that the penalty be changed from civil to criminal and include jail time, and legislation was introduced in 2009, but that portion did not pass.

Thank you, PP!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

8:46 again, who first questioned it. Is used to work for the General Assembly and its unusual to state-wide legislation because of one area. Not impossible, but unusual. The bill that increased the fine was SB 166 in 2008. From $1,000 to $2,500 for the first offense and $1,500 to $5,000 for each subsequent offense. There were six sponsors of the bill, but none was from Montgomery County. There were about 30 sponsors in the cross filed House bill, which does include a few MoCo delegates, but not all. It certainly was not a Montgomery County Delegation bill.

A task force report came out the next year, recommending that the penalty be changed from civil to criminal and include jail time, and legislation was introduced in 2009, but that portion did not pass.

Ugh! Money talks and walks.

[Anonymous]

I have a God awful feeling that the hosting parents in the Sam Ellis two dead passengers incident will get no jail time, and will thus continue to host parties for under-aged drinkers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a God awful feeling that the hosting parents in the Sam Ellis two dead passengers incident will get no jail time, and will thus continue to host parties for under-aged drinkers.

And you base this on what? Do you not think those parents --charged or not -- are not devastated by what happened? Don't get me wrong, if they were hosting a party where those teenagers were drinking alcohol, they deserve to get charged. But they're still human beings. Back in the day, we had parties all the time. We were incredibly lucky no tragedy ever occurred. Times have changed for the better. But let's not act like these parents are malicious, when what they did was merely stupid and irresponsible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a God awful feeling that the hosting parents in the Sam Ellis two dead passengers incident will get no jail time, and will thus continue to host parties for under-aged drinkers.

And you base this on what? Do you not think those parents --charged or not -- are not devastated by what happened? Don't get me wrong, if they were hosting a party where those teenagers were drinking alcohol, they deserve to get charged. But they're still human beings. Back in the day, we had parties all the time. We were incredibly lucky no tragedy ever occurred. Times have changed for the better. But let's not act like these parents are malicious, when what they did was merely stupid and irresponsible.

I want to preface my response by saying the jury is out on whether these parents knew. Assuming they were home, the adults should be charged and face jail time. Make an example of them and it might stop the next parent from hosting. . They are responsible for the tragic loss of 2 young lives! I don't give a crap about their personal devastation. What about the devastation they caused to those boys' families and friends!

I've been silently following this thread but the above post makes me feel compelled to share my 2 cents. I disagree with the above post. I feel strongly that any responsible parent should be able to foresee that this tragedy is a possible outcome. Maybe I can't call the hosting parents malicious, but I also refuse to think they are just stupid. This is an educated area and those parents knew better! They made a conscious decision to ignore the law. People died! I hold them even more responsible than the teen driver (who I still100% feel is culpable) because at their age they possess a well developed frontal lobe and a lifetime of experience.

What stuns me is that this event has brought to light the fact there are parents in my community who condone giving kids alcohol. I get that kids this age are risk takers and cave to peer pressure. I understand that kids sneak around. But if my child were to attend a party where the homeowner knew there was underage drinking, I would be livid!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a God awful feeling that the hosting parents in the Sam Ellis two dead passengers incident will get no jail time, and will thus continue to host parties for under-aged drinkers.

You really should stop with the public stoning in a case where you absolutely do not know all the facts or the law.