MACaver said:
In yet another post on yet another thread I made statements (that I still hold to) that parents are ultimately responsible for the actions/behaviors of their children, irregardless of their ages. How they raise their children today will make the adults of tomorrow.
The kids knew the rules and should comply. Parents knew the rules about under-aged drinking and should've been there to make sure of the kids. Cops know the rules regarding the constitution of the U.S.of A regarding searches and whatever else.
No argument here, we've established the initial wrong doing of the minors, what I am questioning is the actions of the police.
MACaver said:
What gets me is the line: Now I don't know what "beer pong" ... (I've heard and seen beer bongs but not pong) is but the fact that an officer of the law (on duty??) consumed alcohol in front of these teenagers sets a way good example huh?
Beer pong is a game where you try to bounce pingpong balls into cups across a table, and if you make it the other team has to drink.
MACaver said:
Of course one of the kids flipping the cops off isn't very smart either.
(funny I'll admit, but not smart)
Very funny, not very smart, but not illegal.
MACaver said:
Now the cops had "probable cause" to enter the house especially when their authority was being so blatently defied. Still accusing the kids of leaving the town un-protected? :idunno: about that one. It wasn't a riot and it wasn't disruptive except for the large presence of police surrounding the house trying to get in and pounding on the door... (how ironic is that?).
What probable cause? Loud kids in a house (and that is all the police can assume) aren't a threat to the public or a probable indicator of any illegal activity, regardless if the parents are home or not. The waste of resources and the unnecessary disturbance that six cruisers causes is unjustifiable in the context of busting up a party that may or may not involve minors with alcohol or drugs. Refusing to open a door or allow entry to a law enforcement officer isn't illegal and doesn't give probable cause. I won't even mention all the dirty tricks (but still legal) the officers used to try to gain entry. [/QUOTE]
More importantly, I would like to see if any of the charges on the minors actually stick. There is no proof the minors actually consumed the alcohol. When I was in school we had a situation like this.
The police came to a high school party, the kid who lived there went to the door and told the police that he wasn't giving them permission to come in. They just said to turn down the music and make sure everyone was safe. It could be that they were just being cool cops, but later a lawyer told me that thay aren't allowed in unless 1) they have a warrant, 2) they see a crime in progress (ie a minor with a beer in his hand), 3) they are granted permission to enter (by anyone on the premises or the owner, 4) the door is left open.
When I was in college it was even worse for the officers. There they had to see a minor consuming alcohol, because there were so many parties where there were under and over agers they had to see an underager consume before they could crash the party, issue tickets or arrest anyone.
:rofl: 
