Students under 21 may want to think twice the next time they use a fake ID at local establishments. Charlottesville restaurants and students face stiffer penalties for violations of state laws regulating alcohol consumption.
According to new legislation that went into effect July of this year, an underage person who has consumed or purchased alcohol is guilty of a class one misdemeanor and is subject to one or more of the following penalties: a mandatory minimum $500 fine, 50 hours of community service, a driver's license suspension up to one year and/or a one-year jail sentence.
A person who simply provides alcohol to an underage person also is guilty of a class one misdemeanor and is subjected to the same penalties, with the exception of the mandatory fine.
The recent enforcement has required many local bars to make an extra effort to prevent the admission of underage persons during late-night hours.
According to O'Neills bar manager Ashley Mauter, the business has had to employ more bouncers during late-night hours Fridays and Saturdays, leading to a decreased profit margin.
"We were running three bouncers before, but now we're running six," Mauter said.
Although the doorman assigns wristbands to those of legal age, the bartenders and managers perform additional periodic checks to verify that everyone can drink legally, she said.
The greatest challenge they face is stopping underage people with fake IDs, Mauter said.
According to Mauter, fake IDs are the most common method underage people use to enter bars, and the managers have taken ABC classes to spot them.
Bouncers have devised creative techniques to curtail the use of fake IDs, Mauter added.
"The bouncers ask people their social security numbers because most aren't smart enough to memorize their fake ones," she said.
Most local bartenders require a state-issued ID such as a passport or driver's license and agree that vendors need to be more vigilant.
Amigo's Manager Marfino Cedll said because the ABC officers make routine checks at his restaurant, all staff members are required to check everyone's ID, regardless of the customer's age.
Despite ABC's enforcements, the University Police have not changed their policies.
"Officers take into consideration the totality of the circumstance and then can make one of several decisions," University Police Sergeant Melissa Fielding said.
Local Charlottesville resident Jayson Whitehead said he is very pleased with the ABC's new enforcement policy. Whitehead said partygoers keep residents awake during the night and vandalize their property.
"Some frat boy last week ran over the front hood of my friend's car," he said. "She has 2 footprint dents in the front of her car."
Third-year College student Shelly Mann said there are problems at the University that deserve more attention than underage drinking.
"You know that underage people are still going to drink," Mann said. "It doesn't make sense that they're going to be punished further for it"
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