2008 Woodie Awards
Fines issued in Prairie Street drinking party
Brandon Gorman
Issue date: 11/7/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
Fines totaling more than $1,000 per person were handed down in municipal court last week for tenants who hosted the Oct. 5 underage drinking party at 157 N. Prairie St.
Of the 10 tenants in the house, six were cited for furnishing alcohol to underage persons, sale of alcohol without a license and failure to prevent underage consumption. The maximum fines could've totaled more than $50,000 per person.
"We were more than happy to receive the lowest fines because the [maximum] would just be ridiculous. That could put kids in debt for decades," junior Jason Grosskruetz, one of the tenants of the house, said. "The judge was very fair and dealt with us pretty consistently."
The exact amount of the fines varies depending on how the defendants pleads in court.
The Oct. 5 house party was broken up around 10:30 p.m. after undercover officers from the Whitewater Police Department infiltrated the party. Many of the party-goers were caught in the basement of the house and 87 citations, including 81 for underage drinking, were issued.
"We figured out they were undercover but we already sold them a cup," junior Ryan Lund said. "At that point there was nothing we could do."
Grosskruetz and Lund have both been suspended from the university through spring semester and Grosskruetz also lost his campus job. Roommates Thomas Mashuda, Corey Knapp, Christopher Burrow and Andrew Ylvisaker have also received sanctions from the university and they have all had their lease terminated by their landlord for the following year. However, they will be allowed to live at the house through July.
"I'm pretty pissed they didn't let us finish the semester at least," Lund said. "All this hard work I've done this whole semester and now I've got [Withdrawals] in all my classes."
The incident has lead Whitewater Student Government to evaluate off campus alcohol policies. New legislation has been introduced that would protect those who give alcohol to students under 21 (but over 18) from being penalized by the university.
For the residents of 157 N. Prairie, the push for new legislation is too late.
"Don't do it. There are big consequences for these kinds of things and I regret it completely because I have nothing right now," Grosskruetz said. "Just be careful and wait til you're 21."
Of the 10 tenants in the house, six were cited for furnishing alcohol to underage persons, sale of alcohol without a license and failure to prevent underage consumption. The maximum fines could've totaled more than $50,000 per person.
"We were more than happy to receive the lowest fines because the [maximum] would just be ridiculous. That could put kids in debt for decades," junior Jason Grosskruetz, one of the tenants of the house, said. "The judge was very fair and dealt with us pretty consistently."
The exact amount of the fines varies depending on how the defendants pleads in court.
The Oct. 5 house party was broken up around 10:30 p.m. after undercover officers from the Whitewater Police Department infiltrated the party. Many of the party-goers were caught in the basement of the house and 87 citations, including 81 for underage drinking, were issued.
"We figured out they were undercover but we already sold them a cup," junior Ryan Lund said. "At that point there was nothing we could do."
Grosskruetz and Lund have both been suspended from the university through spring semester and Grosskruetz also lost his campus job. Roommates Thomas Mashuda, Corey Knapp, Christopher Burrow and Andrew Ylvisaker have also received sanctions from the university and they have all had their lease terminated by their landlord for the following year. However, they will be allowed to live at the house through July.
"I'm pretty pissed they didn't let us finish the semester at least," Lund said. "All this hard work I've done this whole semester and now I've got [Withdrawals] in all my classes."
The incident has lead Whitewater Student Government to evaluate off campus alcohol policies. New legislation has been introduced that would protect those who give alcohol to students under 21 (but over 18) from being penalized by the university.
For the residents of 157 N. Prairie, the push for new legislation is too late.
"Don't do it. There are big consequences for these kinds of things and I regret it completely because I have nothing right now," Grosskruetz said. "Just be careful and wait til you're 21."
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