The Mille Lacs Messenger reports that a graduation party held in a field owned by Mille Lacs County Attorney Jan Jude and her husband Russ Jude, a Mille Lacs Tribal Police investigator, ended badly.
In Boy has close call after drinking at county attorney's property, editor Brett Larson writes:
Bailey Hamilton, a 17-year-old boy from Milaca, was taken to an emergency room in the early morning hours of May 27 and was unresponsive for nearly six hours with a blood alcohol level of .21.
He said he had been drinking at a graduation party at the property of Mille Lacs County Attorney Jan Jude and her husband Russ Jude, a Mille Lacs Tribal Police investigator.
The party took place in a field near the West Branch of the Rum River, a short walk from Jude's house.
After two friends drove Hamilton home, neither they nor the boy's parents were able to wake him up. His parents summoned an ambulance via 911; he remained unresponsive for six hours in the emergency room at Princeton's Fairview Northland, before recovering from the alcohol consumption. Hamilton admitted bringing a bottle of vodka to the party.
Unfortunately, Hamilton's mishap has brought out the worst of high school social media culture, Larson reports:
Later that morning Bailey received a Facebook message on his phone from someone else who had been at the party. He paraphrased the message: "Don't come to no more parties if you can't handle your alcohol. You caused a lot of problems for a lot of people."
Other parents gave their children permission to attend a bonfire at the county attorney's place, on the assumption it would be safe:
The boy's father said, "My kid passed out in the car and he had his keys. If the cops found him they could have arrested him just for that. He puked all over the place and passed out. Thank God he didn't start that car and drive away."
He knew the boy was going to Jude's house. "When my kid asked me if he could go to a bonfire at the county attorney's house, I figured he would be safe," the man said. "It turns out that was the worst place he could have gone."
The 17-year-old girl said she was told the adults knew kids were drinking and "were fine with it" as long as no one drank and drove. . . .
. . .On Tuesday, June 4, Jan Jude denied knowledge of anything inappropriate. When asked if she had hosted a party at which there was underage drinking, she said, "Absolutely not. There was no juvenile alcohol party at my house."
Read the whole thing--and a press release from the Mille Lacs Sheriff's department--at the Mille Lacs Messenger. Because of the conflict of interest created by the incident happening on the county attorney's home property, the investigation has been turned over to the Anoka County Sheriff's Department.
Bluestem has attended bonfires at the rural residences of young friends. We're somewhat surprised that the Judes didn't keep an eye out for alcohol use at a party involving minors. That's certainly been the behavior of our young friends' parents (but perhaps they're our friends since they have good parents).
Update: Editor Brett Larson tells Bluestem that Mille Lacs County Attorney Jan Jude prosecuted a county resident for a party where minors consumed alcohol:
Jude's office prosecuted an Isle woman after a similar graduation party in 2009 at which minors were drinking. A jury found the woman not guilty of procuring alcohol for minors.
After the verdict, Jude released the following statement: “Procuring alcohol requires the State to prove that the Defendant provided the alcohol while a social host ordinance would not have that requirement. Mille Lacs County does not have a social host ordinance at this time. Whether there was an acquittal or a conviction, the case presents a good reminder during this graduation season that we all have to be mindful of underage drinking and take whatever precautions we can.”
Mille Lacs County still does not have a social host ordinance.
Read about the acquittal here--as well as the county attorney's full statement.
Photo: Jan Jude, Mille Lacs County Attorney, via MPR's Law enforcement fighting 'epidemic' of heroin use.
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