Case dropped against former Cap president

Charges against former Cap and Gown Club president Elizabeth Biney-Amissah '04 were dropped on Monday because of a lack of evidence, Princeton Borough Prosecutor Marc Citron said.

Biney-Amissah had been charged with maintaining a nuisance and serving alcohol to a minor in November, following an incident in which a student was hospitalized on Oct. 19, the 'Prince' reported on Dec. 2.

"I felt that there was not sufficient evidence that she knowingly violated the law," Citron said. "In fact, I believe that she was not even on site at the particular time of the particular incident."

Biney-Amissah said the charges were "very sketchy" because the student who was hospitalized was picked up with a blood alcohol content of zero.

Only after being questioned, Biney-Amissah said, the student revealed she had been drinking at a Cap and Gown formal earlier that night.

Biney-Amissah said that during the hearing her lawyer emphasized all of the "good things that Cap has done [to prevent underage drinking]."

For example, Biney-Amissah said, students can only gain entrance to Cap and Gown with a pass and a PUID. Only students over 21 with a wristband can be served alcohol and out-of-town visitors must be on a guest list, she said.

In addition, Cap and Gown hired a house adviser from outside the University to monitor weekend parties, had sober CPR-trained members patrol the club and restricted students with water bottles from entering because they "try to bring alcohol with them," Biney-Amissah said.

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In a similar instance last year, Cap and Gown Club Graduate Board Chairman Bill McCarter '71 said he defended former Cap and Gown president Matthew Groh '03 after being charged with serving alcohol to a minor. The charges against Groh were also dismissed, McCarter said.

"It's unfortunate that the Borough has charged Cap and Gown for two years in a row, especially since Cap has taken many measures [to prevent alcohol being served to minors] — probably more than other clubs,' McCarter said. "The girl in question has a zero blood alcohol content, but said something that sent the whole process in motion. I'm glad it's been resolved."

Though Biney-Amissah said she believes drinking on campus is a problem, she added, "the Street is a positive influence because it forces people to leave their rooms and distracts them from drinking hard alcohol."

Citron said he would "like to see students and the University to take more responsibility [in cases of alcohol abuse]."

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"If the University acted affirmatively to curtail excessive drinking, then there would be no excessive drinking," Citron said.

Biney-Amissah agreed the University needs a more effective means to discourage excessive alcohol consumption.

"I don't think that the University is going about [combating alcohol abuse] in the right way," Biney-Amissah said. "The University needs to work with the Street and the Borough as a community."

Earlier this year, Tower Club President Cullen Newton '04 resigned from his position after being charged with making alcohol available to a minor and maintaining a nuisance.

Though Newton resigned, Biney-Amissah said she did not believe the charges required her resignation.

She said the charges were not resulting from her "own actions, but only because I was president of the club."

"I loved being president of Cap and Gown. I was the first African-American female president of any eating club. Despite the charges, I hope that Cap members and the grad board will be proud of what I and my fellow officers did for Cap," Biney-Amissah said.