This isn't surprising to me at all. My parents warned me back in the high school days that police were very likely not to discriminate when they bust a party (fortunately, they always just quieted us down and went on their way), and they could just haul everyone away.

In these circumstances, the cops can't know who is or is not drinking, because everyone puts down their beers and tries to play the "not me" game. It sucks, but of course the cops who busted the party would be liable if they let a drunk kid leave and he got hurt.

Of course, the cops could simply have called responsible adults and and had the kids picked up rather than arrested. Perhaps these kids pissed the cops off, and that's why they decided to book them. Either way, it's further support for an important rule of life: fear small-town southern law enforcement.

I didn't get drunk once in college -- or even drink. Why not? Because I was allowed alcohol by my parents, and even offered it from time to time by my dad.

I suspect it's because you just don't like getting drunk very much. Rebellion isn't the only reason kids drink in college!

Hey, I have a great idea how the city of Plainville, Massachusetts can cut waste out of its law enforcement budget! Want to hear it? Of course, maybe Plainville is the only town in the USA that is swimming in money right now, so they're not worried about it.

I'm actually kind of impressed at the creativity of these teens. 'Business Hoes and CEOs' - clever! Since these kids are now stuck with arrest records, they will have a hard time finding jobs and might have to go work at Congress instead. Maybe that can be the theme of their next party.

I grew up in the darkest heart of Orange County, CA in the 1970's and believe me, this was standard operating procedure when the police busted a teenage party. Sounds like some things never change.

I don't know as I agree fully, Amy. The UK loosened restrictions on drinking hours during the Blair administration, thinking that it would create a "cafe culture" there, and instead it led to an explosion of binge drinking and violence throughout the country.

Sad thing is most of theses kids and their parents will take plea bargins to avoid having a permenant conviction record, wont do a thing about their arrest record though.

I'd fight it, and then I'd sue. If you cant prove possestion you cant get a conviction. If they wanted to prove underage drinking they should have applied for warrents to test the BAC of the kids.

fear small-town southern law enforcement.

Massachusetts is "southern" only with respect to Canada.

>> I grew up in the darkest heart of Orange County, CA in the 1970's.

Me too! Garden Grove! The horror. The horror.

It seems today is filled with police and government abuse stories. Some fat politician wants Happy Meals outlawed in NYC, even though 97% of the readers of the story think it is government overreach. A guy got arrested for grabbing a paper towel off a janitor's cart to blow his nose. Cops pepper sprayed an eight year old. A Georgia judge jails a woman for two years for having pain medication in her purse that she had a prescription for.

Welcome to the land of the free.

This isn't shocking since I live MA on the South Shore (the handful of towns directly south of Boston on the water).

It doesn't stop there. Most schools will kick you off your sports teams if you are caught drinking - off campus. If you and your friends are all underage and you are the DD (they're drunk, you are not) you will get in trouble. It doesn't matter what you do/say you will get arrested.

Pretty much everyone I know, family/friends, who is around my age has been arrested for underage drinking or just being around it. If you try to speak up and defend yourself when the cops seem to be going over some clear lines, they'll yell at you arrest you. You cannot reason with cops here.

Also. My parents let me have sips of whatever I wanted during my life and I got shitfaced in college plenty of times. Because it was fun.

"fear small-town southern law enforcement."

Deep Southern Mass? Rubber hoses and no lawyers? Well, a state that re-elected Robert Kennedy is capable of anything.

Woops, I meant Edward. Robert was the saintly one.

Or is all disagreement with Camelot verboten?

Mass was founded by Puritans, and remains run by same to this day. I'm surprised they haven't started burning liquor store owners for witchcraft yet.

It's like in that movie "Edge of Darkness":

Det. Craven: That's illegal in Massachusettes."

Capt. Jedburgh: "Everything's illegal in Massachesettes."

Alright so I can't spell today!

What is it with adult obession with teens?

I say we lower the age for drinking and consent/sex to 14. Think how much money taxpayers could save.

Would we even think of "busting" a party of adults where there is some drinking going on? If some girls or guy want sex, so be it. It will be healthy for their development, happiness and self-esteem.

As for whether you become an alcoholic or not: Much of it is in your genes. Amy Alkon is Jewish (boy, is she ever!)and that group has low alcoholism rates.

Business Ho's and CEO's is a theme for a lot of college parties now. I drank underage as did most of my friends. My oldest doesn't drink because he didn't like what he saw that was alcoholism related in my family. My middle guy at 16 has been experimenting and I'm trying hard to know how to react. I don't want to make too big a deal and make it forbidden because I agree it makes it that much more attractive. But I do have the worry that coming from a family of alcoholics and leaving an abusive husband might make my son want to drink to escape problems. So what makes some people capable of partying hard in high school and college and then going on to be successful productive adults and some people party and turn into junkies? I think that's the million dollar question.

I've heard-but haven't verified-that here in TX they can arrest you for DWI for putting your key in the car door. COuld be urban legend. Really seems like those with no BAC above could have had this thrown out. Of course, they still get the ride downtown. You can beat the rap but not the ride, and all that.

"Capt. Jedburgh: "Everything's illegal in Massachesettes.""

Almost true. Pot was decriminalized.

The 18 year olds in Plainwhatever would get into less trouble for getting caught w/ pot than w/ booze. At least that's how I've seen it play out with my younger siblings. When my sister was 17 she was caught drinking underage at the 4th of July bonfires at the beach and got arrested. When she was 20 she was caught with pot at an outdoor concert and the cop wrote her a $40 possession ticket, took the pot and told her to have a nice day.

And gay people can get married here.

So the place is messed up but it's got two decent things going for it.

Massachusetts is "southern" only with respect to Canada.

...

Deep Southern Mass? Rubber hoses and no lawyers?

Sorry for the misreading, gentlemen. Posting ante caffeine is does increase the risk of errors.

Perhaps my point should be generalized to small-town cops, period. Though I'm more conversant with the tendencies of those in the south.

Eric, I heard that the cops who peppersprayed the 8 year old did so because he was trying to stab them with a piece of wood trim. I'd spray the little shit too. Heard this from a co-worker, that it happened in Denver, but haven't read up on it myself.

"Mass was founded by Puritans, and remains run by same to this day."

Puritans drank like fish, back in the day.

Wow- great trivia factoids... in the 1830's Americans consumed 3 times our current rate of alcohol. Well referenced as well. Funny how we now feel so guilty about having that extra glass of wine!

I think we have different degrees to the drink!

What is it with adult obession with teens?

That's a good question. I live in the suburbs and have noticed the same thing. Adults here are totally fixated on the teens. Not just their own kids, but the whole teenage social scene. I think that they envy them.

"Mass was founded by Puritans, and remains run by same to this day."

"Puritans drank like fish, back in the day."

The only thing you need to know, in order to understand Mass. politics is this: the Kennedy's are the local royalty. You dare not criticize a Kennedy to a local, despite the fact that the Kennedy's are corrupt hypocrites, and not even particularly shy about showing it.

So that fits in perfectly with this story...

"When she was 20 she was caught with pot at an outdoor concert and the cop wrote her a $40 possession ticket, took the pot and told her to have a nice day. And gay people can get married here. So the place is messed up but it's got two decent things going for it."

Funny how relative things get when it's somebody you know.

Not only is a relative excused for breaking a Federal law, it's OK for the police to get $40 and some weed for the price of a ticket.

Don't make the mistake of thinking that's not what happened.

I've been through this with my kid in TX. The way the law is written says that if they have access to the alcohol and could have drank, they are guilty of possession, if they can prove they were drinking then the charge is consumption. In my son's case they wrote a citation to a nine year old girl that was asleep in her bedroom upstairs. They wrote 60 citations in total. (Revenue grab anyone) The police report all this to the schools and the schools consider it a violation of the conduct code. All the kids get suspended from extra activities, clubs, and sports teams. In Texas they give 'negative consideration' to a conviction when determining finacial-aid eligilibty for college. We got together with several other families, as many others did and eventually reached a favorable outcome. The whole thing was over-the-top nonsense!

I've been through this with my kid in TX. The way the law is written says that if they have access to the alcohol and could have drank, they are guilty of possession, if they can prove they were drinking then the charge is consumption. In my son's case they wrote a citation to a nine year old girl that was asleep in her bedroom upstairs.

By that logic every kid in TX whos parents have a beer in the house are guilty of "possestion"

"By that logic every kid in TX whos parents have a beer in the house are guilty of "possestion"

If the police show up, they suspect something, and you are not home......yes they are.