Posted on 10/05/2005 1:31:16 PM PDT by Willie Green
For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use.
BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. - Gisela Zetsche, the wife of incoming DaimlerChrysler AG Chief Executive Dieter Zetsche, was fined $500 and ordered to pay $2,500 in court costs Wednesday for her role in hosting a party at which more than 20 underage drinkers were ticketed.
Had Bloomfield Township police taken the case to Oakland County prosecutors, Gisela Zetsche could have been charged with providing alcohol to a minor, a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and as many as 60 days in jail.
Instead, she pleaded no contest on Aug. 24 to a township ordinance violation that carries a maximum fine of $500, plus court costs. Her plea is not an admission of guilt but is treated as such for sentencing purposes.
District Court Judge Kimberly Small chastised Zetsche, saying her irresponsible behavior sent "a pathetic message" to young people.
"It was wrong. It was profoundly wrong. It was illegal. And it was downright dangerous," Small said.
Zetsche's attorney Mike Schloss said his client accepted responsibility for her actions. He also said she plans to do voluntary community service.
"This incident has made it very clear to her that underage drinking in our community is a very serious problem, and it needs to be addressed not only by teenagers but also by adults," Schloss said.
Township attorney Thomas Ryan said the court costs imposed by Small were extremely high given the fine amount.
According to a police report, officers in the suburban Detroit community said they received complaints shortly before midnight June 18 of noise, drinking and people throwing things at passing vehicles at the Zetsche home. Police found two beer kegs, beer bottles, an open bottle of margarita mix and half a dozen empty liquor bottles, the report said.
Also according to the report, Gisela Zetsche said she bought beer for the 19th birthday party of a young man who was living with the family for the summer. The legal drinking age in Michigan is 21.
Chrysler Group spokeswoman Shawn Morgan has said Dieter Zetsche was not at home during the party.
Dieter Zetsche, who led the resurgence of DaimlerChrysler's Chrysler Group in the United States, was named in July to replace Juergen Schrempp as the head of the world's fifth-largest carmaker at the beginning of next year.
19-21...I think the legal drinking age should be 18. You can join the army and kill people, should be able to drink.
It used to be 18 in Michigan, but unfortunately a ballot inititative raised it to 21, and guess what? 18-20 year olds didn't bother to vote! But I agree with you that if 18 is the age of majority for contracts and military service, it is old enough to drink.
Actually... the federal government (with the lobbying from MADD) threatened to withhold transportation dollars unless the age limit was raised...
but you can go across the border and drink in Canada if you're at least 19...
Don't forget marriage... you can get married at 18 but not legally toast it!
P.S., the legal drinking age in Germany for beer is 16, but the legal driving age is 18!
Very true, however in Michigan the legal drinking age was raised in 1978, pre-MADD and pre- Federal Highway Dollar extortion.
I agree 100%.
I agree with you.
"Maturity" to satisfy certain activities doesn't alway mean maturity to handle all responsibilities.....
Semper Fi
I'm sorry, but I don't follow your logic. The age of consent for females in most states is 16, and for males in Iowa and Missouri it is 14. The drinking age is universally 21. You'd rather see your daughter have sex at 16 but not buy a beer until 21?
Gaging maturity by an arbitrary age doesn't guarantee the ability to handle any responsibility, but unless we want to go to a system where you must pass a written exam to be licensed to have sex, drink, and enter into contracts, then using an arbitrary age is what we are left with.
Fore!
(I was in the Air Force...)
You're right....you didn't catch my drift....
Semper Fi
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