2008 Woodie Awards
Alcohol citations concern administrators
Josh Hull
Issue date: 9/28/07 Section: News
An unusually high number of Texas Tech students receiving alcohol-related citations has university administrators concerned.
Tech Student Legal Services has reported a tripling in the number of cases handled this semester in comparison with past years.
Jill Stangl, managing director of legal services, said the increase is the result of more citations being issued by Lubbock police at parties where warnings may have been issued in the past. The citations include minor in possession, consumption by a minor and noise violations.
"It looks like everybody is getting some kind of a ticket," she said of those attending parties. "The numbers that are happening here are much bigger than anything going on at football games."
Stangl said she is concerned by the drastic increase because it appears officers may be issuing tickets to anyone attending parties whether there is proof of wrongdoing or not.
"How can they do that when they write 100 tickets at a party, and the keg is in the garage and people are everywhere," she said. "I think there are problems in proving the allegations."
Underage students aren't the only ones receiving tickets. Stangl said many times it appears those 21 years or older at parties are receiving noise violations since they can't be ticketed for alcohol-related issues.
Because of the high volume of tickets being issued and the surrounding circumstances, 20 criminal defense lawyers in Lubbock have made themselves available to Student Legal Services to take on party-related citation cases free of charge.
"We don't want students going down there and paying these tickets and getting a conviction without getting help," Stangl said. "Lawyers are also there to help those that are guilty."
Greg Elkins, dean of students, said the administration is aware of the situation and is gathering more information to determine if any action will be taken at the university level, including educating students about the laws.
Tech Student Legal Services has reported a tripling in the number of cases handled this semester in comparison with past years.
Jill Stangl, managing director of legal services, said the increase is the result of more citations being issued by Lubbock police at parties where warnings may have been issued in the past. The citations include minor in possession, consumption by a minor and noise violations.
"It looks like everybody is getting some kind of a ticket," she said of those attending parties. "The numbers that are happening here are much bigger than anything going on at football games."
Stangl said she is concerned by the drastic increase because it appears officers may be issuing tickets to anyone attending parties whether there is proof of wrongdoing or not.
"How can they do that when they write 100 tickets at a party, and the keg is in the garage and people are everywhere," she said. "I think there are problems in proving the allegations."
Underage students aren't the only ones receiving tickets. Stangl said many times it appears those 21 years or older at parties are receiving noise violations since they can't be ticketed for alcohol-related issues.
Because of the high volume of tickets being issued and the surrounding circumstances, 20 criminal defense lawyers in Lubbock have made themselves available to Student Legal Services to take on party-related citation cases free of charge.
"We don't want students going down there and paying these tickets and getting a conviction without getting help," Stangl said. "Lawyers are also there to help those that are guilty."
Greg Elkins, dean of students, said the administration is aware of the situation and is gathering more information to determine if any action will be taken at the university level, including educating students about the laws.
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Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 25
Concerned
posted 9/27/07 @ 9:40 PM CST
With the increase in burglaries, vandalism, and murders in Lubbock, you would think the police department would be more concerned with taking care of these issues than targeting college students and spending that much time to write out that many tickets. (Continued…)
...
posted 9/27/07 @ 10:45 PM CST
Instead of whining about how there's other crimes the police "should" be taking care of, why don't these idiots:
a) not draw attention to themselves so they don't get reported to the police to begin with. (Continued…)
Concerned
posted 9/28/07 @ 6:57 AM CST
Well, a few months back, my locked car was broken into at some point during the night. The next morning, when I have an officer there filing a report, he tells me that there is this band of car theifs that know the police are the busiest from 2-4 a. (Continued…)
Derek
posted 9/28/07 @ 7:41 AM CST
More of the LPD show. With numerous friends and family who are law enforcement officers, I am automatically prepared to be embarrassed whenever the LPD appears in the news, and it seems I'm never wrong. (Continued…)
J Bowlen
posted 9/28/07 @ 8:48 AM CST
I live in Bloomington, IN, home of Indiana University and thanks to articles in Playboy, Newsweek etc...IU is always named in the top (5) party schools in the country which draws many people (alot of under 21 crowd) to town to party. (Continued…)
alum06
posted 9/28/07 @ 11:30 AM CST
Before I graduated 2 years ago, I had a couple of run in with cops for stupid reasons while I was in my own apartment. Many of these cops walk around apartment complexes looked for parties, only to bust people. (Continued…)
BA student
posted 9/28/07 @ 3:00 PM CST
Not all police departments excessively peruse fines but the Lubbock police department seems fairly revenue oriented at the moment considering the new traffic cameras put into place, and the increased ticketing. (Continued…)
Bruce
posted 9/28/07 @ 5:18 PM CST
Lubbock cops are very tolerable. If you have a run-in with them, you were being a dumbass, period.
Man-up and stop being a crying because you're too stupid to get away with the crimes you do while drunk. (Continued…)
Concerned Student Mom
posted 9/28/07 @ 11:51 PM CST
Underage drinking and irresponsible overindulgence have been (and still are) a huge problem with Texas Tech students and college students across the country. (Continued…)
Christy Hogan
posted 9/29/07 @ 12:15 PM CST
I have personally endured very vile situations from some of these Tech party throwers and party goers. Such as vomit, human defication, urination, drunken brawls, broken glass alcohol bottles, beer cans, empty food bags, etc. (Continued…)
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