Think our teens are bad? We were worse.
In most measures, the teens of 2012 are far better behaved than we were: they practice safe sex, most don’t smoke pot or cigarettes and they’re better prepared for college. … Continue reading →
Charges dropped against Stanford University Prof. Burnett
We wonder, doesn’t District Attorney Stephen M. Wagstaffe owe the Burnetts an apology?
Digging Deeper: RI Social Host Law
This is one of our all-timeĀ favoriteĀ videos on the topic of Social Host Laws and Ordinances. Rhode Island Defense Attorney James Powderly gives an elegantly simple explanation of what you need … Continue reading →
Plymouth MN’s better idea
Plymouth responds to the overly broad, draconian model Social Host Law common among other Minnesota communities with a persnickety draconian law of their own. Not only does it include the … Continue reading →
Our June winner for “Oh, Duh, Research”
Two years of research, monitoring almost one thousand undergrad and post-grad students, and the best results that U.S. and Canadian researchers could produce was this underwhelming bit of data: The … Continue reading →
Innocence not relevant for Illinois Mom
Buffalo Grove’s local Social Host Ordinance includes the terrifying phrase “not taken all reasonable steps to prevent”. Who determines what constitutes “all reasonable steps”? It’s a loopy logic loop: the kids got drunk so therefore the parent didn’t take all reasonable steps.
If the Police Chief’s daughter can get him in hot water…
The predicament is that innocence is unimportant when a broad Social Host Law is on the books. You are damned if you do and damned if you don’t call the police for help.
However, once the police arrive, the game of Who’s-the-Social-Host begins: you or your child. We must assume that as police chief, Esserman knew all sides of this dilemma.
If the police chief doesn’t know what to do…
…how is the average parent expected to do the right thing? The story of Providence Police Chief Col. Dean Esserman and the graduation party he supervised this weekend is — … Continue reading →
Adults pass the Tap Test in Massachusetts
In Massachusetts, the Foxborough High students were giving the tests rather than taking them, with the help of local police and S.A.F.E. (Substance Abuse Free Environment) Foxborough Coalition. Using a … Continue reading →