Charges dropped against ex-Tower pres.

Borough Police dropped charges against former Tower Club president Cullen Newton '04 on Jan. 26.

Newton, who was charged on Dec. 5 with making alcohol available to a minor and maintaining a nuisance, was exonerated for lack of evidence, Borough Police Lt. Dennis McManimon said. "He had no direct knowledge that there was alcohol being served to minors that day."

Newton, who resigned from the presidency after learning of the charges, exchanged positions with the club's vice president, Matt Nickoloff '04.

"I was extremely saddened to have to step down as President of a club I love so much," Newton said in an email. "The knowledge that there was no evidence behind the charges was, needless to say, very frustrating."

McManimon told the Daily Princetonian that the charges originated in an incident where an unconscious, underage female student who reportedly had been drinking at Tower was taken to the University Medical Center at Princeton.

"The charges being exposed as baseless helps demonstrate that Tower works extremely hard to maintain a safe and secure environment for its members and guests," Newton said.

Though the charges were dropped, McManimon said he feels that students often protect the eating clubs from legal action in order to avoid the "stigma" that might accompany their testimony. "Let's face it. You have a hostile witness when there's a student that is being subpoenaed to testify against a club," he said. "Stories change after students sober up."

Although this provides an obstacle for prosecution, the Borough will continue its efforts to prevent underage drinking, McManimon said. "It weakens our charge, but it doesn't weaken our resolve."

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Newton said the riskiest drinking is often overlooked.

"The dangerous drinking that the school and Borough claim to be most worried about does not occur at the eating clubs, but rather on campus," he said.

Newton referred to the practice of "pre-gaming," in which students begin drinking in their rooms before going out to continue drinking at parties on the Street.

"That's kind of a common argument that comes up — where the drinking is actually happening," said Inter-Club Council President Corey Sanders '04. "I think it's pretty safe to say that it's happening in both places."

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McManimon agreed that students — not just clubs — should be held accountable for dangerous underage drinking. "A lot of that responsibility is brought on that person — that individual," he said, referring to students who consume dangerous amounts of alcohol.

There is very little the Borough Police can do to prevent drinking in students' rooms, but they have more control over students' activities on the Street.

With this in mind, the Borough has turned its attention to preventing underage drinking at the eating clubs, leveling charges against the president of Tower as well as officers at Colonial, Quadrangle, and Cap and Gown clubs.

"They view it as the only way they can attack the problems they perceive of alcohol abuse along the Street," Sanders said, referring to the Borough Police. "They really don't have any other options."

McManimon conceded that some clubs have made strides in the right direction, but that more work is necessary to prevent underage drinking.

"I know a few of the clubs have stepped up their procedures to curtail the drinking," he said. But the clubs need to do a better job of checking IDs, he added.

While the Borough's efforts may have somewhat reduced underage drinking on the Street, the greatest impact of the latest series of charges against eating club presidents may be personal ones, Sanders said.

"I feel bad for Cullen that he ended up having to resign — his name getting shamed as it were," Sanders said. "It's unfortunate."