House Parties and Teenagers

Every year, underage students across the country have their parties broken up when someone opens the front door to the police and then allows them entry. Once police are allowed entry to the home, they are free to issues tickets to every individual in the room, if they can catch anyone in possession of alcohol or drinking it.

Fortunately, it is possible to deny entry to the police, unless they have a warrant. Without a warrant, the police cannot enter a home without being given permission by whoever opens the door. Unfortunately, many a house party has ended in citations because the individual who opens the door either did not realize this detail or did not remember it due to whatever had been previously consumed.

In an effort to prevent their teens from drinking and driving, some parents have started allowing their children to have friends over to drink if the parents get to take all of the car keys and everyone ends up spending the night. While this does keep inebriated underage drivers off of the road, preventing potential car accidents, it does put the parents in a tough spot. If the party is discovered and ended by the police, it is possible for the parents to receive a ticket for providing alcohol to minors.

When parents leave their kids home alone and the kids end up throwing a party, the situation is even more difficult. In some cases, the parents will call the police asking them to check on the house for parties and then will not authorize the police to enter the home when they do find a party. This puts the police in a complicated position where their hands are somewhat tied.

Contact Us

If you are a minor and have been charged with an alcohol-related offense, contact Rhode Island DUI lawyer Matthew Marin at 401-287-4384.