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Henrico, Virginia Woman Convicted of "Contributing" to Delinquency of Minors

"Hear no evil, see no evil," is not a good maxim for parents to follow when hosting a teenage party.

In April 2011 in Henrico County, Virginia, a mother of 5  was found guilty of multiple counts of contributing to the deliquency of a minor after being arrested when police responded to her home on New Years Day and found a score of underage partiers who had consumed alcohol and marijuana.

While the precise nature of her involvement was unrevealed, newspaper accounts did not indicate that she provided the kids with booze or pot, but her presence in the home -- in another part of the house away from the teens attending her son's birthday party -- while all of this was going on was sufficient for the court to find her guilty of the charges. She was sentenced to over 1,000 days in jail total, with all but 15 days suspended.

The lesson for all parents -- and teens -- from this case is that Virginia takes seriously the enforcement of the underage drinking laws, even when it occurs in a private residence with an adult present.

The mother involved in this case could have avoided the convictions though if no marijuana was present, had she followed the law on this point; namely, by having at least one parent (or legal guardian) of each teen attending the party present at the party . The underage drinking statute does not prohibit teens from consuming alcohol in a private residence so long as one of their parents is present and consents to it.

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Mr. Stelly regularly appears in the courts of the City of Richmond, Henrico County, Chesterfield County, Goochland County, and Hanover County.

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