Could the cops do anything?

You would be fucked in Oregon. It is your house and you will probably get a ticket. The people that bought the booze will probably walk away. They can play dumb and say it was there when they showed up.

edit :: They can card everyone. I have had all the windows and doors blocked while they check ID.

I’m pretty sure the cops would bust everyone under 21 especialy if someone is drinking. But I don’t really have any source.

Answer the door, step out to talk to them and shut the door firmly behind you. If they want to look around, just say: “You do not have permission to enter the premise, if you wish to enter, get a warrant” there is nothing they can do. The police are not your friend. Do not trust them

haha!! im younger than you and i can drink and gamble legally. in canada, it doesnt matter whos drinking the alcohol, just who sells/purchases it. but montreal cops are a joke, and 14 year olds usually get into clubs. sorry if this isin’t helpful.

You can get a ticket for “contributing to the delinquency of a minor.”

These are not cheap or easy to resolve.

Well it depends on where you live but there are various answers here:

1) Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor (or Providing Alcohol to a Minor): It is against the law for any of the of age adults to supply alcohol to anyone there. They would either receive a ticket or be arrested. (usually when only a minor is drinking though.)

2) Underage Consumption- you get the ticket.

3) There is a little thing called the U.S. Constitution and if the COPS don’t have probable cause (snitching is not enough) to come into that house where you are (loud music- over rowdy crowd-medical emergency) they cannot question you or search the place. What you do in your own home is all up to you.

So be cool and chilll and you should have nothing to worry about.

By the way drinking alcohol on private property is aloud. You don’t even have to be in the house.. you can be on your porch or lawn (just not the sidewalk or tree lawn) and you will be okay… just don’t scream and act a fool or play loud music and piss off your neighbors!

Have fun! (I suspect hang over cures will be the next question?? LOL

I wouldn’t rely on probable cause. They can say anything and it is void. Someone pissing on your fence is probable cause. If someone that looks twelve is on your porch drinking something that looks like booze it is probable cause.

you would get in trouble for hosting a party with alcohol with other people under 21 there (including you) and then all the underage people seen with a drink will get in trouble too. that’s what we were told anyway (beginning of college, when cops came to talk to us)

Drinking in public laws vary greatly from state-to-state. Being on private property doesn’t keep you out of trouble in VA- big thanks to all those moronic conservatives. You can technically be charged if someone standing on a public place can view you drinking. So if you’re drinking a glass of wine at the dinner table and someone on the sidewalk can see you drinking through your window, then you are illegally drinking in public in the state of VA.

The advice of refusing to let the cops in is absolutely the way to go. The only way they get to come in is if they have a warrant, probable cause (which the won’t have if you keep anything illegal out of site), or they trick you into waving your right to privacy which happens all of the time. I’m sure there are sites out there that do a good job of explaining your rights when the police want permission to enter/search your home. I’d check them out when you’re sober though.

Just to let everyone know, I’m a Californian.

I thought she said she was 20 not 12?!?!!? And the pissing on the fence was exactly my point (don’t act rowdy) and they won’t be able to get in.

Believe me, unless you live in PO DUNK… they have a lot of other things to worry about than you having a few beverages behind closed doors!

margeryred: We’ll have more than “a few beverages” for sure.

Thanks for all the info so far, Flutherites. I think I’ll keep the party either indoors or in the backyard. And if cops show up, I’m aware of my rights. If anyone wants to say anything else please feel free. I’ll take all the input I can get.

Since it’s at your house it will probably be you talking to the cops if they show up. Just make sure you’re not drunk.

Pete: That’s no fun.

I know it’s not. Maybe you could make someone else the designated cop-talker?

Pete: Haha, so umm.. wanna come to a party tomorrow night? ;-]

ha ha, I’d love to. I don’t think I’ll be able to make it to California though.

technically yes you could get in trouble since your only 20, but they would have to really be hardcore assholes to come in your house and arrest people like that, but with that said if something happened that caused the police to come then most likely you did something worse then having a few drinks

As far as the cops being “hardcore assholes” I hate to state the obvious, but Law enforcement tends to attract a certain type of person.

As best quoted in chapter 11 of Heroes:

“Audrey Hanson: Well, statistically speaking, law enforcement attracts a certain kind of male personality.
Matt Parkman: Ohhh, and what personality would that be?
Audrey Hanson: Dogs.
Matt Parkman: And the female personality?
Audrey Hanson: Bitches. We keep it in the canine family. ”

If you just don’t geive them any reason to come to your house in the first place you should be fine. Think about your neighbors…do they have kids? Or do they work early in the morning? Go to them before you have the party, give them the heads up…give them your cell number to call if they want you to quiet down. That will allieviate much of the issue. If they don’t lodge a complaint with the cops the cops are much less likely to come by. There are too many doughnuts to eat. : ) AND make sure you take people’s keys at the door…there are over the counter breathylyzer tests you can purchase now…you should stock up. If one of your friends gets all wasted at your house, then kills someone in a DUI, some of it can come back to you. Especially if they are not 21.

: ) Hope this is helpful. My Mom’s neighbors had a party a few months ago. They gave her a pre-printed list of their names and their cell numbers and made it plain that they would not be offended if she called to tell them to be quiet. : )

I wasnt calling names i just had a visual of people being thrown to the floor and cuffed for having drinks with somebody a year too young. I Cant imagine anybody going to jail unless you did something to really piss them off besides drinking in your living room.

Just to let everyone know, the party went really well. I’m guessing no one called the cops because none of them showed up, none of my neighbors even called me. To prevent people from driving drunk I asked about 12 people who were trashed to either stay at my house or call someone to get them – nine people ended up crashing at my house all over the place (in chairs, couches, on the floor, in my bed which got pretty crowded). I consider it a success. And now the clean up begins…

@ Allie – I am glad your party was a success! Ugh…I hate clean up. Any chance you can persuade the people who slept over to help you out? :D

PnL: Haha, yeah I’m putting some of my best friends to work. Some of us are hungover (which makes it kind of funny because they’re all grumpy). There are so many glass bottle to recycle. I’m going to take them in and get some cashhhh. =] P.S. – I’m glad no one yakked.

Good to hear all went well!

Kudos to “playthebanjo” for the great tips for being considerate.

it seems like post-kids I have been the neighbor a few times. I would have loved it if my neighbor had done that.

It depends on how big of assholes the cops are but generally at a party just have your friend who is 21 talk to the police and they will usually just send everyone home. If your a minor drink from a plastic cup and is the cops come don’t be an idiot and keep holding your drink and stay inside and you should be fine. I made it to 21 and never once got busted for under-age even though I started drinking long before then. I in no way condone underage drinking haha.

You and your friends that are 21+ would be responsible. If there are any people that are underage and drinking, it’s all on your guys shoulders. They would get a fine for purchasing the alcohol and having minors drink it and you would be responsible bc i’m assuming you would be drinking as well underage and considering you had the party.

Generally cops will just brake up the party. They can choose to arrest people but generally they just stop the commotion and tell you to get rid of all the booze and quiet down. I’ve seen cops make the kids pour out all of their alcohol before.

Depends on your state and locality. In Alabama, for example, it is legal for a 17-year-old to consume alcohol in the person’s own home and serve alcohol to those age 21 or older in that home.

Now you’re 22 @Allie so party on!

Oh, @zenele, I’ve been 22 for 7 months now. Silly.

<<<Bad at math. And Space/Time continuum things.

Young people sometimes attend parties where alcoholic beverages are consumed by some but who abstain themselves and serve as Designated Drivers. However, in many states they are charged with possession or consumption of alcohol, arrested, fined, or have their licenses suspended.

The laws in many states presume persons under the age of 21 (including adults 18, 19 and 20) to be guilty under such circumstances and police doesn’t need to test them for evidence of drinking in order to charge them with illegal possession of alcohol. Police sometimes say that it’s too much trouble to figure out who’s innocent and who’s guilty, so everyone should be arrested and punished.

http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/Controversies/20080421105104.html

Since when did you have to carry ID in the USA?

Papers please or the gestapo will get us.