Mum, dad jailed for serving booze at 16th birthday party

[Kytro]

Mum, dad jailed for serving booze at 16th birthday party. 13/06/2007. ABC News Online

Two American parents have started a two-year prison sentence for serving $US350 worth of beer and other alcohol at their son's 16th birthday party.

The drinking age in the US is 21 but 42-year-old Elisa Kelly and 52-year-old George Robinson decided to buy alcohol for their son Ryan's party.

About 30 people aged between 12 and 18 attended the Virginia party in August 2002.

The parents said they were concerned the teenagers would drink without supervision, so they bought alcohol with the understanding the teens would spend the night at their place.

Kelly and Robinson said they collected six car keys to prevent drunk driving.

Police broke up the party and arrested the parents around 11:00pm local time after receiving three calls reporting possible under-aged drinking.

The parents, who have since divorced, were sentenced to four years and six months' jail - six months for each of the nine teenagers who were found to have measurable levels of alcohol in their system.

Half the sentence was suspended.

Robinson and Kelly had appealed the sentence all the way up to the Supreme Court, which refused to hear their case on May 21.

I don't like the outcome of this case, and think the parents have a point. I think the law should be similar to here, in South Australia.

Drinking underage is allowed in the following circumstances:

1) On private property

2) In public, under parental supervision (where drinking is normally allowed)

3) In licensed premises where the parents are employees or owners of the business (and present).

[kinggovernor]

I would but 350 dollars worth seems excessive to me

[Diesel66]

If it was just their kids, fine them if they were getting roudy.


But I am sorry, you do not have the right to give alcohol to minors especially when they arent your kids. How is this any different then a storeclerk or bartender serving minors ?

[Kytro]

Originally Posted by Diesel66

If it was just their kids, fine them if they were getting roudy.


But I am sorry, you do not have the right to give alcohol to minors especially when they arent your kids. How is this any different then a storeclerk or bartender serving minors ?

Well the biggest difference is supervision, as opposed to lack thereof. If the adults were keeping it from the other parents that is a concern.

[AVengeance]

I doubt anyone would have been prosecuted if it was serving a little wine and bread with a church service. The intent of the parents was to give children dangerous drugs. The whole "they're going to do it anyway" excuse is getting a little old. Sixteen is a far cry from twenty-one. From a libertarian standpoint, I'd say, if it were their own kids and no one else's, I don't care if they drink, smoke, and play poker with their kids every friday night. BUT when you involve other children: no.

Incidentally, I was sitting in a courtroom about two years ago, and heard a case something like this. This girl walked from the local park where a softball game was going on to a party, where the parents of the host were present, and where alcohol was being distributed to and consumed by minors. This girl had consensual sex, but she was intoxicated, and claimed her intoxicated state precluded her from making a judgement about the sex, and therefore it was rape. Not much happened with the case that day, and it was continued. My hearing was over pretty quickly afterwards, so I didn't get to talk to anyone regarding that case. The little slut knew what she was getting into, BUT she was still a minor (15 or 16 at the time) and should not have had the opportunity to enter into this kind of situation. The case was child endangerment, I think. Anyway, I think she got knocked up and had an abortion because of the events that eve. She was an emotional train wreck the whole time in court, and it delayed my case.

[Kytro]

Individual incidents are not an effective way to judge how good or bad an idea is.

Problems can arise from virtually any situation. I don't think it is a good idea for law to focus on prohibiting things because of possible outcome in most cases and rather should focus on intent & actual outcome.

I think the age limit in the US is completely stupid, if you are old enough to be considered an adult for crime and able to vote, you should eb damn well able to drink.

[hsmith]

eh, it becomes a stretch to me of serving to 12 year olds.

but, i think what they did was morally right all together

[DosEquis]

Originally Posted by Diesel66

If it was just their kids, fine them if they were getting roudy.


But I am sorry, you do not have the right to give alcohol to minors especially when they arent your kids. How is this any different then a storeclerk or bartender serving minors ?

I concur with this assessment. I know I would be mildly pissed if my kid went some place at the age of 15 or 16 and was being catered alcohol.

[Linzyhop]

you can drink beer at 16 in Germany, hard alcohol at 18. the drinking age in the US -used- to be 18. by making the drinking age older, it made it that much more "cooler" for underage kids to do. if they were given the opportunity to do it, it wouldn't be that big of a deal.....


but unfortunately the bible humpers of America will never let the law go back to 18. Alcohol is evil!!!!!!

except when taken in Church of course....... duh.

[IminWonderland]

If you don't want your kid to drink, then don't let them go to parties.

I think this is ridiculous. There was no real crime here, except the purchase, the call was about "possible" drunk driving. It hadn't even happened, and as it turned out, probably wouldn't have since everyone was staying the night.

I agree the age should be lowered to 18. If you are old enough to die for your country, I believe you deserve some Jack Daniels to go with it.

[thomez]

12?

[Publius]

Did they inform the parents of the other children that there woul be accessible alcohol present, freely given to the children regardless of age? If so, they shouldn't have been charged with anything. If not, they absolutely got what they deserved. I wouldn't want someone else's parents deciding it was okay for my kid to drink ... especially if my kid was 12.

[DosEquis]

Originally Posted by thomez

12?

Old enough to pee, old enough for me.

RIGHT GUYS!?

Originally Posted by Diesel66

If it was just their kids, fine them if they were getting roudy.


But I am sorry, you do not have the right to give alcohol to minors especially when they arent your kids. How is this any different then a storeclerk or bartender serving minors ?

I couldn't agree more. If a parent wants to provide THEIR child with alcohol and supervise them, I wouldn't have a problem with it. However, they weren't just providing their child with alcohol.

DosEquis, I would hope that, as a parent, you would know whether or not there would be alcohol at a party. I wonder how many assumed that there would not be since the parents were giving it though?

IminWonderland, so my child should not attend any parties, birthday or not because there might be the potential for alcohol there? I couldn't disagree with you more. I think it is part of our responsibility as parents to know where our children are, what they are doing and whether or not they have ACCESS to alcohol. There are plenty of good kids who do not drink at 16. They shouldn't be punished because other teenagers do.

[Diesel66]

Originally Posted by Linzyhop

you can drink beer at 16 in Germany, hard alcohol at 18. the drinking age in the US -used- to be 18. by making the drinking age older, it made it that much more "cooler" for underage kids to do. if they were given the opportunity to do it, it wouldn't be that big of a deal.....

except it doesnt work that way. we have drinking problems in HS, UK has drinking problems in middle school and elementry school.

[Publius]

Originally Posted by Diesel66

except it doesnt work that way. we have drinking problems in HS, UK has drinking problems in middle school and elementry school.

Yet in much of Europe children drink in moderation from an early age and never have a problem with it for the most part.

I've had this argument before with a lady sent to my college from MADD. Had she just stuck to how bad drinking and driving is I wouldn't have taken issue, but then she got into all the health problems supposedly related to "underage drinking" and I had to lay the hammer down on her, pointing out that children as young as 7 or 8 drink in moderation (usually guided by their parents) throughout much of Europe, yet Europeans don't grow up to have all these health problems (underdeveloped mental faculties, etc.) she claimed it caused.

I was applauded by the other guys in the dorm, she had no response.

[Linzyhop]

Originally Posted by Publius

Yet in much of Europe children drink in moderation from an early age and never have a problem with it for the most part.

I've had this argument before with a lady sent to my college from MADD. Had she just stuck to how bad drinking and driving is I wouldn't have taken issue, but then she got into all the health problems supposedly related to "underage drinking" and I had to lay the hammer down on her, pointing out that children as young as 7 or 8 drink in moderation (usually guided by their parents) throughout much of Europe, yet Europeans don't grow up to have all these health problems (underdeveloped mental faculties, etc.) she claimed it caused.

I was applauded by the other guys in the dorm, she had no response.

very very true. i was raised here in the states but given wine and beer from a young age. i think i had my first drink at 9 given to me by my father. I drink in moderation. sure every once in a while i feel like getting smashed, but i can just enjoy one beer or glass of wine with dinner and not feel the need to drink more.

when it's forbidden you want it more. when it's not, you can take it or leave it. it's not that hard of a concept.

[Publius]

Originally Posted by Linzyhop

very very true. i was raised here in the states but given wine and beer from a young age. i think i had my first drink at 9 given to me by my father. I drink in moderation. sure every once in a while i feel like getting smashed, but i can just enjoy one beer or glass of wine with dinner and not feel the need to drink more.

when it's forbidden you want it more. when it's not, you can take it or leave it. it's not that hard of a concept.

I haven't been to a bar since I turned 21 (and have only been DRUNK once since then, 10 months ago), in the year and a half prior to that I'd go out with friends usually twice a week.

If drinking in moderation is a common thing in a society from a young age, the likelihood of binge drinking and other destructive behavior related to alcohol decreases significantly. It's typically kids that were never taught proper limits by their parents that end up going wild and drinking themselves to death in college, because they'd never been exposed to it and taught about it and thus don't know how to drink in moderation.

[DosEquis]

Originally Posted by Publius

I haven't been to a bar since I turned 21 (and have only been DRUNK once since then, 10 months ago), in the year and a half prior to that I'd go out with friends usually twice a week.

If drinking in moderation is a common thing in a society from a young age, the likelihood of binge drinking and other destructive behavior related to alcohol decreases significantly. It's typically kids that were never taught proper limits by their parents that end up going wild and drinking themselves to death in college, because they'd never been exposed to it and taught about it and thus don't know how to drink in moderation.

Yeah but that doesn't matter if you are smoking a nickel bag every 3 days... you pot head.

[Publius]

Originally Posted by DosEquis

Yeah but that doesn't matter if you are smoking a nickel bag every 3 days... you pot head.

I don't smoke pot.