The Red and Black

Originally posted by

Nope

If you dont want a Felony, Dont break the law. Having a fake ID is against the law. College kids these days think just because they are in college the have the right to Drink. Just be glad im not the police chief in Athens, I promise you, I would put a stop the under age drinking downtown.

Originally posted by

Nope

If you dont want a Felony, Dont break the law. Having a fake ID is against the law. College kids these days think just because they are in college the have the right to Drink. Just be glad im not the police chief in Athens, I promise you, I would put a stop the under age drinking downtown.

Originally posted by

Nope

If you dont want a Felony, Dont break the law. Having a fake ID is against the law. College kids these days think just because they are in college the have the right to Drink. Just be glad im not the police chief in Athens, I promise you, I would put a stop the under age drinking downtown.

Originally posted by

Winslo

I WARNED you guys about this several weeks ago. It's also a FEDERAL offense.

Now, maybe they can get a little break here if they are willing to hand up who they bought them from but their attorneys will probably screw that up by opting to beat the charges based on lack of probable cause, etc. If THEY made them, however, it's even worse.

As my dad always said, "if you run with the dogs, you'll get fleas."

Originally posted by

Winslo

I WARNED you guys about this several weeks ago. It's also a FEDERAL offense.

Now, maybe they can get a little break here if they are willing to hand up who they bought them from but their attorneys will probably screw that up by opting to beat the charges based on lack of probable cause, etc. If THEY made them, however, it's even worse.

As my dad always said, "if you run with the dogs, you'll get fleas."

Originally posted by

Dub

Good job UGAPD. I can now sleep soundly at night, knowing that these dangerous "felons" are off the streets. Never mind that there is what appears to be a wave of thefts sweeping through Athens right now, an actual crime with actual victims, it is imperative that you charge these young women with felonies for all of the lives they have ruined through their actions. Is it any wonder that every officer from the ACCPD that I have spoken with thinks that the UGAPD is a bunch of worthless asshats.

Originally posted by

Shanaynay

Campus police are solving a lot of the thefts with their detectives, this case was a patrol officer just making sure 2 females got home safe. HOWEVER, patrol officers are required by policy to arrest for underage. These two girls were stupid by drinking and walking home alone in the first place (there have been several rapes this year already) and even dumber for having a bunch of fake ID's.
The DA, like always in fake ID cases, will plea it down to a misdameanor and they will get probation and their records expunged...assuming they have not been convicted of fake ID before.

Originally posted by

love me some pork

The cop was probably just some sexually frustrated middle aged slob who decided to take out his frustrations (that, A. he's a cop. and B. he can't get laid unless he slings fast fay fifty bucks) on two young ladies guilty of trying to enjoy themselves. I'm sorry, but this is ridiculous. Really makes you have severe disdain for the "proud officers of the law." screw cops

Originally posted by

A land where justice is a game

This truly is shameful. I'm not saying its the cops fault, but as far as cops being "required" to arrest you, that's a load of crap. Cops may pick and choose who they want to go after and it happens everyday in every city. I know many cases where cops have thrown away fake IDs and not charged the individual. Underage drinking should not be an arrestable offense anyways, in many states its a citation and it shouldn't even be that. But the good ole boys of Georgia seem to think its better to put young kids at a disadvantage and take more money they don't have for some petty misconduct. If you think alcohol is bad, then don't drink it, but don't sit there and say college aged kids don't have the right to drink. I feel that if college aged kids don't deserve the right to drink, then no citizen should. So if you don't like alcohol, write to your congressman and try to persuade him to bring back prohibition. Until then we shouldn't punish our young adults for something like this, especially by forcing felonies upon them.
America is the only country who has this issue with alcohol. Every other county rather educate their young adults rather than bar them from drinking and backing them into a corner where they will be more likely to make bad decisions.
Bottom line, these girls aren't felons. And if these charges stick (I'm 99% sure they will be reduced to misdemeanors), our justice system has seriously failed. By charging these girls with this you are saying you want to take their money, their opportunity for decent employment, their right to vote, and to throw them in jail. It's disgraceful. And in the words of Benjamin Franklin, "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to prosper." Let's listen to him, God knows he has more credibility than the UGAPD.

Originally posted by

A land where justice is a game

as long as the law is written like it is, cops do not have a choice when dealing with really drunk people. take this for example, in the article, the cop said she was stumbling bad. What if right after he says, "oh, you girls are just having an awesome time in college(victimless crime). Then, he leaves and the girl is so drunk, she falls into Baxter Street and gets killed. That is that cops career, and probably facing a civil suit from the family of that unlucky girl. Same thing with a guy with a .07999999 blood alcohol content gets pulled over, the cops breathelize him. If they let him go, he kids a bus full of nuns. That cop is screwed. Now for the felony count, if they were not making them, it will get dropped down. It will be expensive probably, but not kill her record.

Originally posted by

remark

They got caught. If you don't know what the law is, you have no business breaking it. These two geniuses could have called a cab and avoided the whole thing for under $20.

And cops don't have as much discretion as you think when it comes to seriously drunk people. Once you make contact, if you let them stagger on home with a warning and they later get raped or mugged, guess who they sue for not protecting them?

I'm not a huge fan of cops, but some people here don't seem to understand the constraints they work under.

Originally posted by

remark

They got caught. If you don't know what the law is, you have no business breaking it. These two geniuses could have called a cab and avoided the whole thing for under $20.

And cops don't have as much discretion as you think when it comes to seriously drunk people. Once you make contact, if you let them stagger on home with a warning and they later get raped or mugged, guess who they sue for not protecting them?

I'm not a huge fan of cops, but some people here don't seem to understand the constraints they work under.

Originally posted by

CoastalDawg

Is this the prevailing attitude now among college students that it's all right to break certain laws but not others? If these two obviously immature girls had not been staggering in the streets in the early morning hours, they would not have been arrested and the discovery of the fake IDs would never have occurred. One year ago a young man by the name of Justin Gaines apparently gained admission to a bar by using a fake ID, a bar which according to news reports he had been attending for several years. Justin was only 18 and that visit ended with his disappearance and he hasn't been found yet. There is more to having and using a fake ID than just getting into a bar for a few drinks; the consequences can be severe. The officer who saw and eventually arrested these girls did the right thing - someone already posted a "what if" scenario involving possible attack and/or rape so the officer did his job correctly. Now these two girls (and they ARE still girls because they haven't grown up enough to learn to obey the law) have had to pay bonds and will have to pay an attorney to try to get them out of a mess that they created for themselves. Having fun at a young age is fine, but you also must pay the consequences if you choose to do it outside the law. It's now up to the court to decide whether or not a felony will stand - chances are that it will be reduced but the officer didn't make the law, he only arrested UNDER the law. Maybe it's time for Daddy and Mamma to bring home the girls for some more "training" before they are let out into the world.

Originally posted by

CoastalDawg

Is this the prevailing attitude now among college students that it's all right to break certain laws but not others? If these two obviously immature girls had not been staggering in the streets in the early morning hours, they would not have been arrested and the discovery of the fake IDs would never have occurred. One year ago a young man by the name of Justin Gaines apparently gained admission to a bar by using a fake ID, a bar which according to news reports he had been attending for several years. Justin was only 18 and that visit ended with his disappearance and he hasn't been found yet. There is more to having and using a fake ID than just getting into a bar for a few drinks; the consequences can be severe. The officer who saw and eventually arrested these girls did the right thing - someone already posted a "what if" scenario involving possible attack and/or rape so the officer did his job correctly. Now these two girls (and they ARE still girls because they haven't grown up enough to learn to obey the law) have had to pay bonds and will have to pay an attorney to try to get them out of a mess that they created for themselves. Having fun at a young age is fine, but you also must pay the consequences if you choose to do it outside the law. It's now up to the court to decide whether or not a felony will stand - chances are that it will be reduced but the officer didn't make the law, he only arrested UNDER the law. Maybe it's time for Daddy and Mamma to bring home the girls for some more "training" before they are let out into the world.

Originally posted by

should this be on the front page?

I'm sorry, but these girls made a huge mistake. we get it. I'm sure the legal repercussions of this are making them distraught, and they are getting punished by their parents. however, i do not think the red and black needs to make this any worse for them. they will pay for their mistakes-they have felonies, the law will deal with them. the emotional strain of this ordeal is bad enough, and the red and black has no right to make it worse.

Originally posted by

Common Sense

It's simple. If you are underage, drinking, AND have Fake I.D.s....then you DESERVE the punishment. You KNOW that you shouldn't be doing it...and consequences WILL follow...trust me...it's called LIFE!! And for all you people defending these idiots...your probably underage drinkers too....that's why you defend it. All of us that are OF AGE....understand why there are laws against this stuff. Don't be naive and idiotic. If you don't ever wanna worry about facing a felony....don't committ FELONIES!!! DUH!