NEWS
Underage drinkers arrested at the Orpheum
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Also by Michelle Orris:
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- UW advertising project receives national attention for study (December 4, 2003)
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Related Stories:
- Despite recent underage-drinking busts, police say it is 'business as usual' (February 7, 2003)
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- ALRC approves liquor in Orpheum Theater (November 20, 2003)
- ALRC fights underage drinking (November 9, 2006)
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by Michelle Orris
Monday, February 3, 2003
Several underage drinkers were arrested Saturday night at the Orpheum Theater.
At least three people were arrested at 1:18 a.m. and charged with underage drinking, according to Lt. Mary Schawf.
She said the arrests were probably made as a result of routine police checks on liquor-licensed establishments for overcapacity, underage drinking and other violations.
Schawf said police do routine checks whenever time permits.
“At this time of year there are fewer calls, so we can start to check establishments,” she said.
Underage-drinking tickets at a licensed venue are $368 for the first violation, $410 for the second, if it’s within 12 months, $658 for the third violation and $968 for the fourth. Schawf said citations for a fake ID could be tacked on in addition to the underage fine, and most run at $162.
Schawf also said if the suspects had fake IDs, they may have been taken back to the police station, because the police need to verify the person’s identity to issue citations.
“It is one of the complexities that arises with fake IDs,” she said. “If there’s an ID question, we have to get them booked through the jail.”
In addition, the Orpheum could face penalties from the Alcohol License Review Committee if they have repeated problems with violations in their venue.
Representatives of the Orpheum theatre were not available for comment.
The Opheum’s troubles come in the midst of the Kollege Klub’s temporary closure, handed down after police repeatedly found the bar with numerous patrons carrying fake IDs.
Entering the Kollege Klub at just after 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 6 of last year, a police force consisting of 10 officers approached numerous patrons appearing to be younger than 21 years old, of which 17 admitted to being underage and received citations.
Police also confiscated 15 fake IDs, which Quast describes as “varying in quality, from good to very poor.”
The Kollege Klub had accumulated nearly 200 points of alcohol violations of its license.
