[bigdcaldavis]

Bars which forbid anyone under 21 from even setting foot inside are private establishments, while bars which allow all ages to step inside (but only serve alcohol to those of legal age) are considered public. If this bar only allows people 21 and older to step inside, then these charges hold no merit whatsoever and should be declared null and void. Being drunk in public is illegal. Being drunk in private is not illegal. If being drunk in private were illegal, you would hear about people being arrested for simply being drunk in the privacy of their own homes.

[eastforker]

Well, here in Texas do not get caught drinking a beer in your front yard before noon on sunday, that will cost you a trip to jail.

[TKDietz]

"Bars which forbid anyone under 21 from even setting foot inside are private establishments, while bars which allow all ages to step inside (but only serve alcohol to those of legal age) are considered public."

That's not the law in Texas. I've never heard of any state where that's the law, but maybe that's the way it is in your state or your county. In my state we have both private "members only" bars, and those that are open to the public. In practice though anyone who wants to can go to most all of the private clubs. The only reason for the private clubs is that they were allowed to serve liquor on Sundays, could stay open later, and it used to be anyway around here that only private clubs could sell hard liquor. The law varies from county to county, with some counties here being "dry counties" and some of the dry counties having "private clubs" that sell booze or along people to bring their own. People under 21 aren't allowed in either private clubs that sell alcohol or bars here unless the establishment is a restaurant that just happens to serve alcohol. And private clubs in most places at least are actually still considered public places for most purposes under the law, at least that's what they claim with these anti-smoking laws in some states where they ban smoking not only at bars open to the general public but also at private clubs. I don't know that the fact one is drinking at a private club would protect him from a conviction for public intoxication. I can't believe though that the police are actually going out of their way trying to find people in bars who have had too much to drink. Some people need to lose their jobs over this. Hopefully voters in Texas will see to it that that happens.