OT: Wisconsin students get $86,000 fine
To take a break from the Sparty Hate threads and over-analysis of our defense, I figured I would share something about the new policing of party attempts by Madison. I hope Ann Arbor doesn't adopt a strict policy like this. I feel sorry for our BigTen brothers.
Madison's city attorney's office has slapped three University of Wisconsin-Madison students with fines totaling more than $86,000 — that's about $28,000 apiece — for hosting a house party last month that led to more than 130 citations, Madison police said Tuesday.
From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20101006/NATION/10060394/3-University-of-Wisconsin-students-face-more-than-$86-000-in-fines-for-party#ixzz11b7kuU9Q
October 6th, 2010 at 12:53 PM ^
Feel free to delete it if it's not board-worthy. I just figured since it involved a fellow Big Ten school, and college partying is part of the "culture" at Michigan as well, and Madison is very similar to Ann Arbor, it would give something to talk about. I won't be offended though if it's removed.
October 6th, 2010 at 1:02 PM ^
I'm with you on this MgoKev. This is definitely board worthy- as opposed to some of the other drivel that has made it past the watchful eyes of the mods.
October 6th, 2010 at 1:08 PM ^
feel free to post things that are 'out of line'/inappropriate/spam/troll/whatever in the mod thread. sometimes things are missed.
October 6th, 2010 at 1:08 PM ^
I thought it was interesting enough to post, for what my opinion is worth. Brush off the above. That's a worthless post. (The "oh" post)
October 6th, 2010 at 1:16 PM ^
first!
October 6th, 2010 at 4:49 PM ^
to mention that your avatar suits this post perfectly, not going to do it.
October 6th, 2010 at 12:50 PM ^
of Cheddar.
Boom Wisconsin'd
October 6th, 2010 at 1:11 PM ^
Gouda one.
October 6th, 2010 at 1:14 PM ^
looks like I've created a Muenster.
October 6th, 2010 at 1:17 PM ^
consider me Swiss
October 6th, 2010 at 1:20 PM ^
Same here. I only pick sides when it comes to Michigan. Go Bleu.
October 6th, 2010 at 2:23 PM ^
Wow these cheese puns are starting to get Coeur de Camembert au Calvados.
October 6th, 2010 at 2:46 PM ^
This one doesn't even make Edam bit of sense.
October 6th, 2010 at 2:50 PM ^
I think I Feta troll.
October 6th, 2010 at 5:02 PM ^
I might as well Provolone this streak of puns.
October 6th, 2010 at 12:51 PM ^
Must have been one hell of a party
October 6th, 2010 at 12:51 PM ^
Excessive? Yes. Trying to make an example? Yes.
This is kind of like slapping huge fines on someone for uploading songs to someone else. While the action is illegal, the punishment does not seem to fit the crime.
But, like with the song downloading, it's hard to nail every single person who downloads music illegally / gets drunk underage at a party. So, the intent seems to deter massive parties with lots of underage drinkers. I don't think it will stop them from drinking - they'll go to many more small parties, but that's the intent.
October 6th, 2010 at 12:52 PM ^
this week?
October 6th, 2010 at 12:55 PM ^
I'm sorry to waste your time. I felt the OT indication and the wording of the title was descriptive enough so that if you were looking for Michigan vs. MSU posts, you wouldn't be misled into clicking on this one. My apologies.
October 6th, 2010 at 1:22 PM ^
it involved some sort of meltdown in conjunction with last week's loss to MSU, not normal UW binge drinking.
Like they carried on the mascot wars and filled Sparty's head with velveeta and rotel.
October 6th, 2010 at 1:23 PM ^
Screw you. No one made you click on this post with a very descriptive title (plus OT). It was well worth my time to read. There is no rule about not posting OT threads during the season. Asshole.
October 6th, 2010 at 1:33 PM ^
Technically, there are OT guidelines during the season (see: MGoBoard FAQ for more info). I just figured with it being a Big Ten school and that culture is prevalent in Ann Arbor, that it would fall into a gray area. That's why I wouldn't be offended by it's removal.
October 6th, 2010 at 1:34 PM ^
you're completely wrong - there ARE rules about posting OT threads during the season. don't know where you got that idea
October 6th, 2010 at 12:54 PM ^
this is the wrong punishment. These are college students, where are they going to get that kind of cash? If you wanted to make an example I would think changing that into ton of community service or something like that would have been the better choice.
October 6th, 2010 at 1:35 PM ^
Back in the day, it used to be that the cops took the money you made at the door (at SU you sold cups at the door for $3 a piece, unlike AA where I never saw anyone charge), and gave you a noise violation.
October 6th, 2010 at 1:48 PM ^
I'm sure that money was pocketed and the "noise violation" was just a warning citation. Easy way for the cops to make a little extra cash.
October 6th, 2010 at 2:33 PM ^
Pretty good money, they usually made off with $700 to $1000.
October 6th, 2010 at 3:15 PM ^
I was hit with a noise violation only once during my time at Michigan. It was a going away party for a friend and there was NO alcohol - just sodas, pizza, music, general revelry. So cop shows up, takes me out to his cruiser (did you know they have - had, anyway - molded plastic seats in the back so you can sit comfortably with your hands behind your back?), and issued the violation. I showed up at court and the judge pretty much processed us all at once. Read out the names, address, and time of the violation. The entire room (judge included) found it quite humorous that mine was the only noise violation issued before 1am. That's right - they tagged me for a noise violation at 10:30pm because a neighbor apparently complained. AT 10 FRICKIN' 30!!!!
October 6th, 2010 at 12:55 PM ^
October 6th, 2010 at 1:09 PM ^
Take it from a student: by the letter of the law, it is virtually impossible to have a party with more than say, 5 people without being fined because all it takes for a party to get a noise violation is for the officer to be able to hear it from off of the property (granted, they usually wait until somebody complains or it gets really big).
Furthermore, I wouldn't know this because we don't charge for cups at Michigan, but I would guess that charging for cups violates some sort of alcohol distribution law.
October 6th, 2010 at 2:22 PM ^
Working as a bartender now in 3 states in my career- no you can charge any price you want for a cup. Just like I can charge you 30 dollars for a paper plate. This is how places such as Ann Arbor Golf and Outing have liquor consumed on premises, they charge you a membership fee, provide everything but you serve yourself. Cops would be hard pressed to find a judge who would get after the kids.
<br>
<br>You can even sell beer in most states as long as it's your private property and not a source of personal revenue. Meaning you can sell a can of beer to your buddy.
October 7th, 2010 at 12:29 PM ^
then just make it a 'statement' party where you keep the noise to a minimum, or perhaps completely silent, like a funeral where you are mourning the loss of the ability to throw big parties. Fight for your right.
Here in San Fran it is positively Draconian as they now will hold the owner of any building responsible and they have huge fines, so no more warehouses, airplane hangars, basement spcaes, etc., which has all but destroyed the underground party scene here. I belonged to a Burning Man group for a long that threw pretty huge illegal/underground parties to fund an open bar out on the playa at the Burn and now we have to pay dues and scrounge around to fund it. Nothing going on here after 2 AM anymore, which really sucks.
October 6th, 2010 at 1:01 PM ^
"HI....uh Mom....Dad? Yeah.....um......I have a small problem......"
October 6th, 2010 at 1:12 PM ^
that they won't have much trouble getting that penalty thrown out when they inevitably appeal to a higher court, because there's no precedent for such a thing.
But NOW there is.
October 6th, 2010 at 1:22 PM ^
Man, that is excessive. Thats about 6 years of tuition at UW. F*** the police for damaging these young peoples lives, just for doing something everyone else in college does.
October 6th, 2010 at 1:21 PM ^
First, this part was really funny:
When police arrived and saw 200 to 300 students milling around the house with plastic cups, they knocked on the door. Those inside immediately stopped the music, locked the door and hushed themselves...
"Be cool, the cops are here, but I don't think they saw us..."
Also, this was just ridiculous:
There is a benefit for hosts who cooperate. Chaney said officers on his Community Police Team broke up another house party on the same night about a block away from the kegger. The hosts at that party worked with police — and were only issued about $5,000 in tickets, he said.
Only $5000?! Yeah, that's a totally reasonable fine to issue college students for a house party.
October 6th, 2010 at 1:39 PM ^
Dropping lots of fines that add up to 5k and 86k is going to get you one of two outcomes:
1. People learn to hide their parties. I guess this cuts down the public disturbance but it doesn't really curb the binge drinking and the evils the other evils the Student Affairs folk preach about.
2. A very, very angry student ghetto that starts burning police cruisers because they're angry.
It does nothing to curb the drinking and only creates an angry subsection of students that hate cops. It's like Green Street this past year. The first act of violence I saw was a cop knocking a cellphone from a drunken soho's hand and putting her in a chokehold. The police then proceeded to see shocked when the shower of red cups began.
I guess it gets you ticket revenue though...
October 6th, 2010 at 2:15 PM ^
Madison has had its share of small riots in recent years. Unlike our friends in East Lansing, they're usually not related to sporting events. The annual Halloween celebration on State Street, for instance, often got out of hand.
October 6th, 2010 at 3:09 PM ^
I wonder what would have happened if they had chosen to stay locked in their house until the police had produced a warrant?
Could the police get a judge to sign off on a warrant for that?
October 6th, 2010 at 3:28 PM ^
... is reasonable suspiscion, like say a very large group of people standing outside with cups, the police have the right to knock on the door and see if there are underage drinkers. If you refuse to answer they will either come in, or wait until you come out.
October 6th, 2010 at 1:25 PM ^
October 6th, 2010 at 1:50 PM ^
We used to routinely have 200 people in and out of our parties in the 70's. And back then, you could buy a pretty big house for that $86,000.
I think this is relevant to the board because so many on it are students who like to party after the football game. If this is successful in Wisconsin, it isn't much of a stretch to see exhorbitant fines in Ann Arbor, either. Everybody wants more revenue nowadays; what better way to get it than to criminalize students for having a party?
October 6th, 2010 at 1:57 PM ^
And I don't mean Cedar Village riots. I mean real, bricks and firebombs chucked at police in full riot gear with the threat of lethal force being used riots.