The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Dozens of underage kids cited for alcohol consumption
by Mark Reaman
A lot of local teenagers started out the New Year under the watchful eye of the Mt. Crested Butte police department and that will result in a visit to County Court. Officers busted a major house party in the Meridian Lake subdivision shortly after midnight on January 1 and have since handed out dozens of citations and issued summonses for “Consumption/Possession of Ethyl Alcohol by an Underage Person.”
The incident began New Year’s Eve when neighbors in Meridian Lake called the police because some cars were parked on the road and blocking emergency access. The officers responded and were promised the vehicles would be moved.
According to Mt. Crested Butte police department spokesperson Marjorie Trautman, shortly after midnight, “the patrol officers returned to the area to ensure the vehicles had been moved as promised. Officers observed young looking and visibly intoxicated individuals around the property and upon approaching the house observed many young, intoxicated people inside.”
Officers made contact with those inside the residence and all of them were under the age of 21 with most of them actually under 18 years of age. They resided in Gunnison County, Hinsdale County, and from out of Colorado. Three Mt. Crested Butte police officers and two Crested Butte marshals ultimately responded to the scene.
“A significant amount of mostly consumed bottles of hard alcohol, beer, wine and champagne were found inside the residence along with a large quantity of drug paraphernalia,” Trautman said. “All remaining alcohol was either poured out, or seized. The paraphernalia was seized.
“Party-goers were found in varying degrees of intoxication ranging from no intoxication what-so-ever, to such significant levels of intoxication that individuals were unable to care for themselves, to another passed out and not able to be awoken by an officer for an extended period of time,” she continued. “Officers expressed great concern over the sizeable number of highly intoxicated young people.”
Officers found no marijuana at the scene.
Trautman explained that when making contact with a juvenile under the age of 18, a parent, or adult responsible for them, is contacted and asked to come to meet with the police officer. Care and custody of the minor is then turned over to that adult. So several local parents made the trek to Meridian Lake to pick up their children and talk to officers. Officers detained the juveniles in the house and they were “offered the opportunity” to use a Breathalyzer machine to record their level of intoxication before being released to their parent’s custody. The officers were at the house for two hours processing the scene.
The official charge when dealing with intoxicated juveniles is Illegal Consumption/Possession of Ethyl Alcohol by an Underage Person and is a required summons to County Court as a misdemeanor. “It is not a penalty assessment, such as a speeding ticket, when a fine may be paid in lieu of appearing before a Judge,” explained Trautman. “All of the kids that were issued a summons will have to appear in court in Gunnison.”
How the house where the party took place was rented is still being investigated. In excess of 25 summonses for underage consumption/possession are expected to be issued in this case. Officers have been meeting with parents and their children to issue the citations and explain the details to them. Trautman said the juveniles would appear in court January 27. The 18-year-old adults cited in the matter will appear in court either January 26 or February 2.
Police are also investigating a possible sexual assault that allegedly occurred at this party. No details are being released in that case, as it is still being investigated by police.
