S.F. bar owners hauling underage drinkers into court: Small claims judgments against fake IDs

SFGATE.com ^ | 5/10/04 | Harriet Chiang

[ZGuy]

When Amante bar in San Francisco was slapped with a $3,000 fine for serving an underage customer who had used someone else's driver's license to gain entrance, the owners of the bustling North Beach establishment decided to take action.

They sued the 20-year-old woman in San Francisco's small claims court and last month won a $5,000 judgment. Emboldened by the success of their innovative approach, Amante's owners, Michael DiBenedetti, Wizz Wentworth and Erik Boardman, have decided they won't stop there. They have joined other bar owners to crack down on underage drinkers by turning to the court system to make them pay.

"I definitely think it's going to send a message,'' said Dibenedetti, who has been in the bartending business for 30 years. "Let it be known that all of the bars are going to be doing this, and it's going to cost these underage kids more than a slap on the wrist.''

The tactic rarely has been used, although two years ago another San Francisco bar owner sued two underage drinkers in civil court after being shut down temporarily by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. The suit resulted in a $5,000 court settlement.

[dts32041]

Hum Responsibility for your actions, in San Francisco.

Who would have thunk it.

NO criminal record and a hole in the expense account.

Of Course, in SF everyone knows that 5 G's is only half a months rent.

[monkeyshine]

Sounds fair. I'm not a big supporter of the drinking age laws, but yes these kids should pay the fine back to the bar.

[DLfromthedesert]

It would make more sense for the city to come down on the kids in the first place instead of the bar if their ID was checked.