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Open House Party Goes Wild- Three Teens Arrested, 15-Year-Old Hospitalized

By Eddie Farah

Three St. Johns County Florida teenagers were arrested Saturday for giving a 14-year-old girl so much alcohol that she passed out at an open house party.

The house, just south of St. Augustine, had about 60 juveniles and no parents. A 14-year-old girl went to the party with an old 18-year-old. Her parents thought she was home in bed.

No parental supervision, lots of alcohol, and kids. No stretch what happened here.

The girl drank enough that she passed out and the teen party host tried to revive her with a blast from a garden hose. When that didn't work, they put her in a shower, then forced her to eat bread.

Two other partiers decided to do the right thing and drive the sick 14-year-old to Flagler Hospital in St. Augustine. Medical personnel say they got her there just in time.

The two who hosted the party, both 19 are under arrest as is the 18-year-old who brought the girl, charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. And the St. Johns County Sheriff's office will be scrambling to determine just who owns the home - they could be liable.

Last month a party at the Jacksonville beaches ended up with a 15-year old girl passing out and claiming she was gang raped.

In May, a Jacksonville attorney was arrested when police found an open keg of beer and about 50 underage kids in her backyard. She was charged with giving alcoholic beverages to underage drinkers.

A young couple died last year after being served alcohol. The 20-year old young man had a blood-alcohol of 0.15 and his 18-year-old girlfriend drowned with him when his truck rolled into Julington Creek. The pair had attended two parties that night.

And last month we reported that a party in Ocala ended up with five young men speeding off in a BMW and crashing into a tree. No one survived the crash and the party host, an adult, was arrested.

Under Florida Statutes Ch. 827 on alcohol consumption by minors, if a partygoer is under the age of 21 and partakes in any booze, a parent can be facing a second-degree misdemeanor punishable by a $500 fine and up to 60 days in jail. If someone is killed, those charges could be upped to manslaughter.

Then there are the civil liabilities. Parents can also be held responsible for negligent supervision of children and could face the financial consequences of any accidents or deaths that might occur, including jail time and seizure and sale of their non-exempt assets.

That's enough to take the fun out of any party.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Eddie Farah

Full post as published by Jacksonville Personal Injury Lawyer on July 12, 2008 (boomark / email).