A woman who had appealed her teen party hosting conviction in Florida that led to the death of two young people leaving her party will not have her appeal heard by the Florida State Supreme Court. The St. Augustine Record reports that an Appellate Court had upheld a jury finding that the woman was guilty of hosting the open house parties and that in doing so she contributed to the delinquency of a minor by providing drugs and alcohol to high school students. The woman was accused of sharing in the partying when a pair of teens drove from her house and died in a fiery fatal car crash in January 2009. The male who was driving had a blood-alcohol level twice the legal level of intoxication.
The denial of her appeal means the woman will begin serving a 364-day sentence in the St. Johns County jail. This was the first case to be prosecuted in Florida to bring attention to the practice of underage drinking in a private home where the parents are hosting the event.
The 52-year-old woman was found not guilty of manslaughter in May 2010 for the two teen deaths. However, the jury did find her guilty of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, two second-degree misdemeanors, and allowing teens to into her open house party.
The Florida drunk driving accident victim attorneys at the Farah & Farah law firm remind parents that the legal age for alcohol consumption is 21 and if you allow an underage drinker onto your premises to consume alcohol, you may be charged criminally as well as civilly.
