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A case in Philadelphia has laid the responsibility with parents
who turn a blind eye to underage drinking. The case could result
in the woman involved (Judith McCloskey) getting a 15 year prison
sentence for a deadly car accident caused by a teenager who was
drunk when he left a party at her house. The case is the latest
in which prosecutors have sought to expand the criminal responsibilities
of the third parties in drug and alcohol deaths.
In August, a New Jersey man was tried on manslaughter charges
for a deadly crash caused by a drunken friend, the jury deadlocked
on lesser charges of vehicular homicide and aggravated assault
by automobile. Wendy Hamilton president of Mothers Against Drunk
Driving said, "This is a landmark case." "I think that this sends
a very strong message to every parent in the country. There are
too many adults who think that drinking underage is a rite of
passage. It is not."
In many states, adults have gone to jail for buying beer and liquor
for minors who were later involved in drunken accidents or those
who suffered alcohol poisoning. Parents who allowed the friends
of their children to drink in their homes have also been prosecuted,
but usually on charges that carry little jail time, such as contributing
to the delinquency of a minor.
Jo Anne Epps, Temple University law professor said, "Years ago,
these cases would have never been brought, but the world has become
less tolerant of alcohol related deaths, and the world is less
tolerant of parents who avoid responsibility for their children’s
behaviour."
Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli said McCloskey
bears added responsibility because she was in the house where
the drinking took place. McCloskey’s attorney, Gary Asteak, said
the case sets a dangerous precedent. "It would put parents in
the role of being probation officers for their children, and would
ultimately leave them responsible for everything their kids do,
whether they see them doing it or not," he said. An appeal is
planned. |
