While you might think that staying in on New Year's Eve will keep you out of trouble, it could actually land you in jail.
For those of you who want to avoid the crowds and throw a party of your own this year, there are some things you may want to consider before opening your home up to guests.
Breaking a noise ordnance or disturbing the peace could have you ringing in the new year by paying a fine. But what's worse, if you're not careful, you could also find yourself facing criminal charges.
When inviting people over to watch the ball drop, the celebration is often accompanied by alcohol. While it's no secret that furnishing alcohol to a minor is illegal, as it turns out, even those who are of the legal drinking age can also get the person who's throwing the party in big trouble.
Blake Sherer, assistant prosecutor for Platte County, said when throwing a party, people should think of themselves as bartenders.
"If a party serves alcohol to a person and that person gets behind the wheel of a vehicle and causes an accident or a fatality, that party could be held criminally responsible under a theory of accomplice liability," Sherer said.
When it comes to accomplice liability, whatever the driver is charged with, the accomplice will receive the same punishment, which could include prison time.
"We take vehicular fatalities very serious and they almost always wind up with prison time," Sherer said.
Here are some tips from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) on how to throw a safe party:
- As guests RSVP, confirm that they have a safe way home via a non-drinking designated driver, such as a friend, or a rideshare service like Uber or taxi.
- Provide plenty of food to keep your guests from drinking on an empty stomach.
- As the party host, have fun - but not too much fun. Stay within your limits to make sure your guests stay within theirs.
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Jessica McMaster can be reached at jessica.mcmaster@kshb.com.
