14
NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2009
ORDINANCE (CONTINUED FROM 1)
Chestnut said the change was spurred by low conviction rates for party hosts accused of providing alcohol to minors. He said city attorneys met with the Lawrence Police Department to create a solution.
He said police would continue their enforcement of party violations as they had in the past. In most cases in which an officer enters a party, it is because he was called to the scene for a noise complaint. The officer then checks attendees' IDs and can cite minors and party hosts accordingly.
Chestnut said police officers on routine patrols could inspect parties without receiving complaints first.
"If they have evidence that they see a party, they have probable cause and can enter," Chestnut said. "But for the most part, it will be complaint-based."
basically running an open saloon, they can check it out," Cory said.
Sergeant Bill Cory of the Lawrence Police Department said officers could inspect house parties without receiving a complaint if they happened upon them while on patrol.
"If they see someone hosting a party and
Pantaleon Florez, Topeka senior, said police officers broke up a party at his apartment complex in August of 2008. Florez he was cited because minors were in attendance.
"They gave me a ticket for the hosting of minors when people I didn't even know were there," Florez said.
Florez said he received no fine after going to court where he stated he was not aware of minors attending the party.
Florez said he had mixed feelings about the new ordinance because parties often get out of control and draw in several strangers.
"I got out of it completely," he said.
"I think it's kind of ridiculous that someone can get in trouble if people just show up to their party," Florez said. "If they're in your home, it may be because you invited them, but if the party is outside it's harder to control."
According to the ordinance, which can
ORDINANCE NO. 8397
Section 1.
4-103.1 UNLAWFUL HOSTING OF MINORS AND CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOLIC LIQUOR
(A) Unlawfully hosting minors consuming alcoholic liquor or cereal malt beverage is intentive residence or any land, building, structure or room owned, occupied or procured by such person or an invitee of such person's child or ward, in a manner that results in the unlawful possession or cereal malt beverages by a minor. "Minor" shall be defined as any individual less than 21 years presumption that all persons present at and participating in social activities are invites of the practices, or if persons organizing the activities cannot be identified, by the persons who owning, structure or room used for the social activities at the time of those activities. A person shall be under this section if he or she knowingly hosts, permits, or allows a social activity on any prop take reasonable steps to prevent the consumption of alcoholic liquor or cereal malt beverage by able steps include, but are not limited to:
1. Making all reasonable efforts to control the quantity of and the access to alcoholic liquorivity, including lawful efforts aimed at removing from the social activity individuals who are not the person or his or her invitees who are of legal age to possess or consume such alcoholic liquor them;
2. Verifying the age of all persons attending the social activity by inspecting drivers license tion cards to ensure that people under the legal age to consume alcoholic liquor or cereal malt the liquor or cereal malt beverage while at the social activity.
(B) Unlawfully hosting minors consuming alcoholic liquor or cereal malt beverage is a misdea $1000. If the court sentences the offender to perform community or public service work as a c consider ordering the offender to serve the community or public service at an alcohol treatment
(C) As used in this section, terms have the meaning provided by K.S.A. 41-102, and amendm-
(D) Social activity shall mean any gathering of three or more people when any primary purpure recreation and at which alcoholic liquor or cereal malt beverage is served or permitted to be cor circumstances where the only alcoholic liquor or cereal malt beverage that is served is done so by alcoholic liquor or cereal malt beverage under this code or the Kansas Statutes, and amendment
(E) The provisions of this section shall not be deemed to create any civil liability for any lodg 36-501, and amendments thereto.