Woman accused of running strip club in basement

[chequita guevara]

GAH!!!!

[Wezil]

I find it amusing that one of the charges against Ramirez is for lying about his age. Since he is 20 years old I presume you must be 21 in Georgia to legally drink. That must be a *****.

[Wezil]

GAH!!!!

You should have known.

[Sava]

Worst. Strip. Club. Ever.

[Imran Siddiqui]

I find it amusing that one of the charges against Ramirez is for lying about his age. Since he is 20 years old I presume you must be 21 in Georgia to legally drink. That must be a *****.

You have to be 21 in the United States to legally drink.

[Sava]

You have to be 21 in the United States to legally drink.

not in South Carolina

http://www.wmbfnews.com/Global/story.asp?S=10726099

Judge: State law barring underage drinking is unconstitutional
Posted: Jul 14, 2009 4:42 PM CDT Updated: Jul 19, 2009 10:40 PM CDT

By Jack Kuenzie - bio | email

COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - If you're younger than 21 in South Carolina, you cannot buy alcohol. But what about having it in your possession or drinking it?

A court ruling today suggests state law contains nothing that would make it illegal for many young people to own or use alcoholic beverages.

"This magistrate in Richland County has concluded that the statute that criminalizes possession and consumption is unconstitutional," says attorney Joe McCulloch.

In a ruling issued Monday morning, Richland Co. Magistrate Mel Maurer sided with McCulloch, acting on behalf of a 20-year-old client ticketed March 9th for possession.

McCulloch argues Article 17, Section 14 of the state constitution conditionally gives those 18 and over the "full legal rights and responsibilities" of all other adults, with one exception -- the General Assembly can restrict the sale of alcohol.

But that section of the constitution does not specifically address consumption or possession.

"This is a determination made by a well-regarded magistrate in Richland County. I think that if ten judges hear this argument, I believe that ten judges will find consistent with this ruling," says McCulloch.

The Fifth Circuit Solicitor's office and Richland County Sheriff's Department say the statute cited by the arresting officer on the ticket had been repealed, and later replaced with another that does outlaw consumption and possession.

McCulloch notes the change in his motion to dismiss the charge. He says Maurer later raised the issue as another potential problem for the state's case.

A spokeswoman for the solicitor says the decision will be appealed to a circuit court.

In a statement, McCulloch says the ruling "presents to the General Assembly and ultimately to the voters of South Carolina an opportunity to address the issue of under-21 access to alcoholic beverages in a thoughtful and deliberate way."

"The constitutional decision to allow 18 year olds a vast array of freedoms, including the ability to fight for our country, suggests that the privilege of alcohol consumption as well should be extended to our citizens who are 18 years old and above," McCulloch writes.

He says lawmakers, if they revisit the issue, should "look beyond criminalization and resist calls from the pressure groups opposed to alcohol to more productive solutions like education and counselors."

[Imran Siddiqui]

Actually just in Richland County... for a month or so until it gets reversed .

[Sava]

Actually just in Richland County... for a month or so until it gets reversed .

[Wezil]

You have to be 21 in the United States to legally drink.

Every state?

I thought that would be a state thing to decide.

[SlowwHand]

It is, or at least it was. I assume it still is.

[Dis]

When I was a kid around 9 or 10 years old I did a strip tease for my friend's sister. So you guys are saying stripping in your own home is illegal? Should I turn myself into the police?

[Thoth]

Every state?

I thought that would be a state thing to decide.

IIRC Reagan gave the states the choice between raising the drinking age to 21 or not receiving Federal funding for education The states still got to make their own choices though.

[DinoDoc]

It was Highway money, not education.

[Wezil]

I thought that was the 55mph speed limit requirement...

[Imran Siddiqui]

What Thoth said (edit: caveat, DD is right that it was highway money). Every state decided it wanted the federal highway money, so they all jacked up their drinking ages to 21.