College town starts ticketing bars that serve drunk patrons

[matcom]

<snip>

When a drunken 22-year-old was found drenched and barefoot early Jan. 7 after climbing out of the La Crosse River near Copeland Avenue, police sent her to a hospital.

She wasn’t cited. But the owner of the establishment she reported drinking at was: He got a $285 ticket for serving an intoxicated person.

In a city that has seen eight college-age men drown in area rivers since 1997 — the last a college student whose body was found in the Mississippi off Riverside Park on Oct. 2, two days after he was last seen at a downtown bar — La Crosse officials have stepped up efforts to curb excessive drinking.

Yet bar owners and servers question whether they’re being

unfairly targeted in that effort.

“It’s not right,” said Scott Kundy, who was ticketed as owner of Cheapshots, 318 Pearl St. “I didn’t do anything wrong and did everything by the book. I don’t even remember her. It’s crazy.”

State law forbids serving an intoxicated or near-intoxicated person. Municipal Judge Dennis Marcou said he wants both bartenders and bar owners cited so he can determine in court who was responsible.

In 2006, La Crosse police handed out four citations for serving an intoxicated person. It could have been more, said Chief Ed Kondracki, but some won’t reveal — or can’t remember — where they had been to drink.

“It’s a difficult ordinance to enforce,” said Kondracki. “Some jurisdictions believe it’s impossible to enforce, but I don’t believe that.”

http://www.lacrossetribune.com/articles/2007/01/14/news/00lead.txt

[raccoon]

1. Sometimes you can't tell a person's level of intoxication.

And how about if someone else buys the drink and gives it to the already intoxicated person?

I almost hate to use the phrase "personal responsibility" because it is so often used by Republicans, but I think it applies here.

[Little Wing]

2. Cheapshots?

Sounds like a fine establishment, I'm sure the doormen working the line are doing all they can to maintain order