Pair get 8 years for serving beer at party

Washington Times ^ | 2-12-03 | Washington Times

[ambrose]

CHARLOTTESVILLE (AP)

[ColdSteelTalon]

Hey the sentence was just, those minors did not know what they were doing because they are under 18 years of age. See the law says so then it must be right. And see the law is always just because it absolves people from the resposibility of being responsible for themselves.

Hey if a teenager kills someone then they are responsible adults and we can try them as such, but when it comes to sex and booze there seems to be a different standard.

Call me crazy but these teens drank the booze and they were not forced. And where in the hell are their parents, I would never let my son or daughter attend a party like this.

Sounds like another case of the parents being asleep at the wheel.

American parents are for the most part absentee landlords...

[CharacterCounts]

It's amazing how many "Freepers" are always against the judiciary making up laws, then they wholeheartedly support a judge who does just that.

The legislature made this offense a misdemeanor. Misdemeanors carry sentences of one year or less. Here, a local judge clearly attempts to do an end run around the law by applying consecutive sentences and further does an end run around the Constitutuin by setting an excessive bail and we have Freepers cheering him on.

Littering is a misdemeanor in most states and carries a maximum of 90 days. Under this judge's logic, if you toss out an ashtray with 100 cigarrette butts in it, this judge could sentence you to 9,000 days (or about 25 years).

[Cultural Jihad]

Only ratty Rats think people shouldn't have to follow the laws or accept the consequences of their actions, Todd.

[B Knotts]

Yes. That's certainly a reasonable conclusion from reading what I wrote. </sarcasm>

I think we need to approach alcohol use by minors as they do in Europe, and encourage personal responsibility instead of the rampant irresponsibilty we see here under the current approach. When I was a boy, my dad let me have a sip of beer now and then (not often), and I learned that beer was no big deal, instead of some delicious mystery.

[TLBSHOW]

Examples of Legal Drinking Ages Around the World

United States: 21

Great Britain: Minimum age for purchasing alcohol is 18, although those who are 16 or 17 can purchase beer or cider with a meal.

France: 16.

Spain: 16.

Germany: 16 for beer and wine, and 18 for spirits.

Canada: 19 in much of the country, 18 in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec.

Australia: 18.

Japan: 20.

South Africa: 18.

Malaysia: 18.

Ukraine: 18.

Russia: 18.

South Korea: 19.

[HamiltonJay]

I agree, these parents, and parents like them are indeed a threat to the community.


If this arrest is part of a larger pattern of behavior, I have no issue with a stern sentence. If this is a first time, I say 8 years probation and 3-6 months in the pokey. This gives them an honest attempt at recognizing the seriousness of what they have done and atone for it. 8 years in the slammer for this on a first offense is overly harsh, and unless it fits a larger pattern by these two, will likely be revised/overturned on appeal.

[Cultural Jihad]

The issue isn't one of emptying an ashtray, but of serving alcohol to 60 to 80 minors. Get back to us when someone gets 25 years for emptying an ashtray, okay?

[MEGoody]

"We forbid young people from developing a responsible approach to alcoholic beverages until they're 21, and then we set them loose."

As a parent, it is YOUR job to develop this responsible approach to alcoholic beverages of which you speak.

No one here has said you can't give your own kid a beer or something at home if that's how you wish to develop 'a responsible approach to alcoholic beverages' in them. But you certainly should not give such things to other people's children without their permission.

[Cultural Jihad]

Did your Dad serve alcohol to 80 classmates of yours, too?

[MEGoody]

"They adults are responsible for serving alcohol to underage children, but the 16 year old also had some responsibility here."

Absolutely.

[Cultural Jihad]

You forgot one:

Somalia: 0

[B Knotts]

I did not defend these parents. I'm talking about the issue in a much broader context (e.g., we would not have as much of a problem with alcohol abuse by teens if we took a different approach).

[MEGoody]

"I would never let my son or daughter attend a party like this."

Like what? You think these parents sent notes home to all the other parents saying they were going to serve alcohol at this party? Doubtful. The other kids' parents probably asked the usual questions. Where are you going? What time will you be home? Are his parents going to be there? The parents who served the alcohol to the minors are at fault here. (As well as the kids who did the drinking.)

[TLBSHOW]

Every country has its own laws about who can and cannot drink. Often, laws are not enforced strictly, or are set aside if a parent or guardian is present. In some countries a parent can buy glasses of wine for the teenagers at the table in a restaurant, while this is forbidden in other countries.

Stop by the Wine Forum to discuss a particular country if you are planning a trip - get the full details from people who have been there!

Country Age Restrictions

Australia 18
Belgium 16
Canada 18
France 18
Germany beer/wine 16, rest 18
Ireland 18
Italy none
Japan 20 legally, 18 practically
Mexico 18
New Zealand 18 w adult / 21 alone
United Kingdom 5-drink,16-buy

United States 21

http://wine.about.com/library/encyc/bl_drinkage.htm

[MEGoody]

I wonder why you are so supportive of earlier drinking ages just because Europe does it? After all, it's clearly turned them into limp-wristed weenies when it comes to having the backbone to stand up to Saddam.

[MEGoody]

"I'm talking about the issue in a much broader context (e.g., we would not have as much of a problem with alcohol abuse by teens if we took a different approach)."

You are free to take that approach with your own children.

[Fred Mertz]

Belgium 16

Ah yes, all the Belgians I know are lushes....< /sarcasm>

[CharacterCounts]

The issue isn't one of emptying an ashtray, but of serving alcohol to 60 to 80 minors. Get back to us when someone gets 25 years for emptying an ashtray, okay?

If you can't see the correlation between the two examples, (both misdemeanors punsishable by the same time in jail- then you have blinders on. If you think these people should get more time, then het the legislature to change to a capital offense. Otherwise this judge is acting illegally.

And, if you didn't like cigarrettes, I am sure you would have no problem putting the litterbug in prison for 2 years.

[Protagoras]

And it says right there in black and write: "Nor shall eight years be demanded when only 60 to 80 children's lives are needlessly endangered; rather, 3 or 4 weekends will suffice."

Absolutely no one on this thread has indicated that actions don't have consequences or shouldn't have. They are discussing the relative merits of the length of the sentence.

What do you think the sentence should have been?