Court orders mandatory community service for Colonial

Every member of Colonial Club will participate in court-mandated community service this year after the club pleaded guilty over the summer to serving alcohol to a minor last spring.

"While we were fortunate not to have suffered any devastating consequences as a result of the legal charges in the spring, we are now in a fragile position, with one strike against us," Colonial president Tommy Curry '08 said in an email sent yesterday to club members. "Another charge like the one we faced in the spring could potentially halt the routine operations of the club for a time, which we would like to avoid at all costs."

During Houseparties last May, Public Safety was called after an intoxicated and underage female student injured herself outside Frist Campus Center. Public Safety summoned Princeton Fire and Rescue, who were accompanied by a Borough Police officer.

The student said she had been drinking at Colonial, and the Borough subsequently brought charges against Curry for serving alcohol to a minor and maintaining a nuisance. When the case went to court, the charges against Curry were dropped and transferred to Colonial as a whole. The move was arranged by Colonial's graduate board, their counsel and the prosecutor.

"The club has taken responsibility as a corporate entity," Curry said in an interview. "It doesn't throw any dirt on anyone's records."

The more serious charge of maintaining a nuisance was later dropped. The charge states that a proprietor "knowingly conducts or maintains any premises, place or resort where persons gather for purposes of engaging in unlawful conduct."

Transferring the charges from a club president to all club members is a departure from past protocol in such incidents. Two years ago, Terrace Club closed its doors to nonmembers after an underage student fell down the stairs and suffered a minor concussion during Initiations. Charges were originally brought against then-president Patti Chao '07 but were later filed against the club's trustees.

Though Terrace was initially charged with maintaining a nuisance, the charges were eventually dropped in the proceedings. The Terrace graduate board pled guilty to charges of serving alcohol to a minor and had to pay a fine of $664.

Likewise, charges were brought against Tower Club president Cullen Newton '04 after an intoxicated, underaged female student was sent to the University Medical Center at Princeton. The charges were later dropped, though the severity of the incident led Newton to step down.

Llewellyn Ross '58, chairman of the Colonial graduate board, said the board "felt it was unfair ... to Tommy Curry, the undergraduate president, to take the heat when he wasn't responsible."

"The trend of holding a club as a body responsible largely make sense," said Will Scharf '08, president of Charter Club and the Interclub Council.

Tower Club president Jon Fernandez '08 agreed. "I'm glad that rather than hold him [Curry] personally responsible, they sort of distributed the penalty," he said.

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The charge of serving alcohol to a minor, which Curry said is "a misdemeanor offense to the best of my knowledge," also mandated that Colonial pay a fine.

But Curry refused to comment on the size of the fine. "It was a reasonable fine that's certainly within our means to easily handle," he said.

"We effectively plea-bargained," Curry added. "That was ultimately the decision of the grad board."

Though it is still uncertain what form the enforced community service will take, reaction to the decision has been mixed among Colonial members.

"If anything, I think it's a good thing," David Huie '09, a Colonial member, said. "It is community service. I don't think it will be a huge deal."

Colonial member Jeffery Hsu '08 agreed, saying that "as far community service goes, it's something you should do anyways."

But other members found it unfair that the entire club must partake in community service due to one person's inebriation.

"It kind of stinks that we have to do all this because of one incident [since] we were following all the wristbanding," Colonial member Bruce Halperin '09 said.

The email sent to the Colonial members by club officers took a strong tone against potential problems, saying that "any member or guest breaking the alcohol policy during a club-sponsored activity or event may be asked to leave."

But Colonial does not plan to make any material changes to its security policies.

"We always have had our safeguards in place to make sure we're abiding by New Jersey and University law," Curry said. "There aren't any fundamental changes that are occurring."

The club's current system includes professional bouncers, a bartender and wristbands. "We've done absolutely everything we can to prevent the problem," Ross said.