Legal Question in Civil Litigation in Virginia

providing alcohol to minors

I'm 19, and recently had a large

party with alcohol at my house.

When the police were called, I asked

everyone to leave. One guest did not

leave, but stayed behind in the

street.

The guest was 21, and had stopped

by my party for a short time. He was

drunk, but had gotten drunk

elsewhere.

When the police came, he went up

to them and yelled at them. He was

charged with assault, drunk in public,

and supplying alcohol to minors.

The issue is that he did not bring

alcohol to my party, it was me and

other people who supplied it.

When I talked to the police right

after he was arrested, they told me I

would not be charged unless it

happened again, because I was very

polite and respectful.

Now this 21 year old guest thinks I

should pay his fines because he got

arrested for providing alcohol when it

was my house, and he had not even

provided alcohol.

I refused to give him any money and

he now says he will take me to court

to try and get me charged for

providing alcohol instead of him.

Is it possible that he will get his

charges dropped and get me in

trouble even though the police officer

said I was getting off?


Asked on 7/17/07, 1:54 am

1 Answer from Attorneys

Michael Hendrickson Law Office Michael E. Hendrickson

Re: providing alcohol to minors

If there were no underage partiers charged at your house, and you yourself were not charged, it would be very unlikely that the police would now decide to do so (charge you).

Their focus should remain on "BIG MOUTH" who apparently got himself charged through his own stupid and, apparently, alcoholically stimulated behaviour outside your residence on a public street. Nor do I see any basis

for this person to bring a civil action against you for the recovery of fines which he brought on himself through his own most inappropriate and ill-advised conduct towards the police.

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Answered on 7/17/07, 5:59 am


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