meinelkm20 good point they teach sexual education in high school.

So...I was just looking at other countries' laws, and the US is definitely in the minority by having their drinking age be 21. Only a handful of other countries have a legal drinking age above 18. If we can teach kids to be responsible, why not have a lower drinking age? Right now kids binge because it's rebelious, it's the forbidden apple. But if adults can responsibly introduce it, it wouldn't be as big of a problem.
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And I agree - responsibility starts with the adults. If we set good examples, I think we can teach young adults the same thing. Why not teach an alcohol awareness class their senior year of high school, just to warn them about it before college? They WILL be exposed to it in college. Teach them how to drink responsibly, yet still show them the dangers, then let them make their own decisions as to whether or not it's right for them.
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Oh wait, I know why they would never teach a class like that - because that would supposedly be "encouraging" it. No, it would be making them aware.

I wonder if parents know that they can't give permission for their kids to go to a friend's house, where the party is, and where alcohol is being served, even if the friend's parents 'take the keys away', and otherwise lock the party down?...........And, do people know that every adult who has knowledge of underage kids drinking has an affirmative duty under the law to alert the authorities?

Do they have any estimates on how many juveniles ran off jumping fences?

nowind the parents got tickets for supplying the booze. Here's the section out of the public record from Tuesday nights paper:
-- JOHN J. BARRY, 43, of 410 S. Ringold St., Janesville, ticketed for adult contributing to underage drinking Saturday night, and D. DAVID BARRY, 51, of 303 E. Holmes St., Janesville, cited for obstructing after police were called to a party at John Barry’s house and ticketed 12 people for underage drinking.

shutupandfish
Did the parents get a ticket for supplying or just the kids for drinking?

Doesn't help when parents buy the teens alcohol like they did the other night. 12 teems got ticketed for drinking and the Parent was home.

I think in order to make a big difference in drunk driving, police needs to issue bigger punishments-Whether it be an underager or my grandma- plain and simple. If the first offense is only suspending your license for a 2-3 months and a $100 fine, people can deal with that alot easier then if it were a $1000 fine. You give them a big fine, stick it in their face to make them realize that they could kill someone and that they're putting other people's lives in jeopardy. And if they can't pay it, here comes the warrant for your arrest. People choose to drink and drive, no matter how old. Harsher punishment is the only thing that can help. Trust me, I've lost loved ones to drunk driving, and have a family member & friend who just got a DUI... but they're still out driving...

I agree on the old enough to fight for this country you should be able to have a beer when you done. Wisconsin if I remember had this law forced on us or no federal highway money.
OT on the bycycle helmet in Australia when they made it the law to wear one it showed no reductions in bicycle injury, but maybe they just ride safer down under..

nowind,
While a large chunk of the military is made up of men and women under the age of 21, there is also a very large group of men and women who are older than 21. Also consider that most active duty contracts are for at least four years, for a first term. This means that even if someone enlisted when they were 17, they would be 21 by the time their initial contract was up.
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The consumption of alcohol is not allowed in any conflict zone under regular circumstances. Sometimes for special events, area commanders can permit the consumption of alcohol, but it would be very limited and very controlled. When talking about allowing all members of the military to drink, it's in reference to when they are in garrison (in other words, not deployed.) The Marine Corps has finally issued an order that allows unit commanders to grant drinking privileges to all Marines in their command eighteen years or older at special events. The most popular event being the Marine Corps Ball, where all Marines may drink if they choose to (assuming the unit commander permits.)
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I'd have to look at this study myself, but I am assuming that the study doesn't take moderate drinking into account. Getting extremely drunk kills brain cells no matter how old you are, and it's always dangerous to binge drink. Binge drinking may effect younger adults or teens more than mature adults, but that doesn't then make it ok for adults to binge drink. That being said, why then should that make a strong point not to let military personnel under the age of 21 drink?

I agree that that, on its face, doesn't seem right. BUT...if the science is right--that the teen brain is much more adversely affected by alcohol than the adult brain, then any law that would allow military 'teens' to drink, would acknowledge that overall health of soldiers is not a concern to the Pentagon.

Well i'm not so sure I want the defenders of my country to have hangovers. Anyway, most deployments are in dry countrys where drinking is not allowed.

I personally believe that anyone who can die for their country should be able to drink alcohol, at least on base if nothing else. I've had many senior leaders who have told me that they don't get to choose which rules they enforce, and if they had it their way, everyone (in the military) would be allowed to drink.

It's a shame that we can trust those in the military with assault rifles and high explosive grenades, but we won't let them drink unless they're at least 21.

I was recently told that Wisconsin, and several other states, are considering lowering the drinking age for those in the armed services. At first blush, this seems to make sense. Except that it flies directly in the face of the latest science that shows the more striking adverse effects that aclohol has on teens. IF this is truly being considered, can you imagine the discussion that will ensue?

That's the Wisconsin law.
Now granted, even though it's not illegal according to the alcoholic beverage statues, I'm sure. in that extreme, child welfare laws would come in to play.
Point being...16 to 20 year olds would probably escape the scrutiny under similar circumstances.

wisconsinheat..
So a wayward girl can have a baby at age 14, then when her child is 12, the 26 year old mother of a 12 year old can have a built in drinking buddy?
That's a wee bit backwoods, IMO.

thekid3477, Are you referring to the garbage media out there??!!!! You're right! Infact, this blog site is an example of the garbage media we have out there in our society readily available for everyone, including children (our future leaders of this country)
There is alot of great information through the posts in this site, however, there is alot of complete garbage as well. Here's the problem, many people can't sift through the informational "white smoke" that exists on the I-net. We live in a perception is reality culture. People don't have a clue what to believe so they choose what best suits them. People have become disconnected because the internet allows them to "just say anything" and hide behind the keyboard of their PC. There's no accountability anymore. We're trading our freedom for security. This country is going to hell in a hand basket because we don't have enough people of courage willing to stand up be a good example in society. It's too "uncool" these days!

We need to look at stiffer penalties for procuring alcohol for minors AND selling to minors. That will send a message when big brother or mom and dad loose their license for a year or two.

i personally think alcohol is a cancer on society with no cure, and as long as my herb is in prohibition then the murdering drug should be too, but ill stick to the topic at hand:) i think we should require that every alcohol company that advertises ANYWHERE should sponsor the same amount of time, or space, for a PSA. how many beer commercials do you see in the superbowl?? half naked chics. ads that do nothing but GLORIFY drinking. follow that commercial up with a father murdered by a 16 yr old DD. 3 year olds watch horses play football then a budwieser can burned into their minds. why not then show a commercial of an alcoholic on his 3rd rehab stint. kids see drinking glorified from day one, and if they are unlucky enough to have a parent who cant drink responsibly, they learn early to keep their mouths shut about it, but they also learn that it 'must' be good if it makes dad an a$$hole but he continues to drink. one last note on my stoner rant, over HALF the money for programs such as FAM(Families Against Marijuana) come from the alcohol/tobacco companies for their share of 'public service'. they dont want you knowing the truth about pot any more than ucle sam. ask yourselves why dont you see the kind of commercials im talking about?? you see them about marijuana. 'your brain on drugs' anyone?? im not sayin you will NEVER see these commercials, but you see them rarely and nowhere nearly as often as you see the half naked chics.....

You make some interesting points the akai. There may be some truth to that.
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On another note, it's ironic that according to today's "public record" a local attorney was cited for obstructing in connection to a local underage drinking party.

If teens start out drinking right, then bad habits are far less likely to form. Again, we need to turn our focus away from the under age kids and look at the of age population.
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Without offending you too much, Optimism...
I'm willing to bet that your brother did not get that brain damage until after he was of age. I am only guessing, but if he has three kids and is thirty years old... he probably continued to drink irresponsibly after he was of the legal age to drink alcohol.
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What message are we sending under age drinkers if we come down on them harsh before they become of age, but are light on them when they are of age? Are we telling them that responsible drinking is only necessary when you are under age?

WISCONSINHEAT! MY point exactly. There are way too many parents that allow their kids to drink in their presence. Then these kids take that permission with them without the presence of the parent, and guess what....that's when the underage tickets come into effect. I am not blaming ALL parents, but there are way too many that condone drinking, "AS LONG AS THEY DO IT AT HOME". It doesn't stay at home....never will. And then you will have the parents complaining to everyone that the judge was so hard on little Johny and start a cycle of kids looking to their parents to bail them out of every situation they get into. My examples may be in the extreme, but I know all of this to be true from experience of a brother who has been drinking in house since he was 13...guess what, he is 30, has brain damage from a drunk driving accident, and has never worked for a living, has three kids and has custody of NONE. A little harmless drinking in the teen years usually doesn't turn out too well.

I do not condone underage drinking, but, a common misconception here is that by and of itself, it is illegal for someone under the age of 21 to consume alcohol.
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This is not true.
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A person under the age of 21 may legally possess and consume alcoholic beverages if accompanied by a parent, legal guardian, or spouse who has attained the age of 21. This pertains to private property or on the premise of a licensed establishment.
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Wisconsin Statute 125.07(4)2
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No age limit. 12 or 20, doesn't matter.
interesting, huh?

I think suspending license's for underage drinking is a fantastic idea. In highschool I saw so many of my peers getting underage tickets and it was just a big joke to them. No real consequences since "Daddy" would pay it anyway. I do think that each offense needs to be taken more seriously. First offense: lose license for year. Second offense: 10 days in Detention Hall & 1 year license suspended. Third offense: 30 days in DH and 2 years suspended. YES it needs to be THAT harsh. Getting a measly $200 ticket is not getting the message across...OBVIOUSLY.

OFF Topic but…
Every year, about 300,000 kids go to the emergency department because of bike injuries. Some of these injuries are so serious that children die, usually from head injuries.
Kids think they are invincible anyway.
Packolies I hope your grade schooler isn't drinking and riding.

Probably a good idea to wear a helmet on a bike if your drinkin but other than that they don't do much good. Kids think there invincibal with the skid lid and ride more aggessive. But to each his own if you like your kids wearing them by all means make them.
Back to the drinking, if we quit making is a big deal because someone had a drink before the government says they can maybe it wouldn't be such a big draw for the kids.. I won't let my kids drink in my house till there adults but if they go out and do it I will stess the fact that it's ok to have a couple drinks but it's not ok to get drunk.. I learned this the hard way..

Where do people get this idea that having a party automatically means there will be alcohol there??????
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I have been at many parties in my lifetime and most of them had no alcohol or very little.
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Too many YOUNG parents trying to be NEW AGE and allow their kids to drink. Bad, bad, bad!! It's not workin' real well now is it? My son is 16 and I would guess 2/3rds of his class drinks not only on the weekend party nights, but on the way to school. And I would be willing to also guess that 1/3rd of those kid's parents allow drinking in the home!! And this is from information he chooses to share with me....I can only imagine what REALLY goes on! I am proud of this judge for taking this so seriously, someone needs to!

Chicken and the egg. Which came first. Do you learn to drink responsibly as a teen or do you wait until you are older.
Do we raise smarter kids than we are or do we wait until they are older, having never been taught responsibility, when they become an example for the next generation to learn from.
It has been proven in other areas that the next generation can be smarter and safer than the last. I didn’t start wearing a seat belt until I was in my 30’s and I remember riding in an old VW bug behind the rear seat as a kid. Now if I forget to buckle my seat belt my kids in there booster seats will remind me before I get out of Park.
My kids always comment on other kids who ride there bikes to school without helmets because they know they should be wearing them.
My 6 year old will get ANGRY if she sees someone tossing Garbage out a car window.
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All of these things are examples of how a generational difference in education and safety rules can change a culture. Smoking tolerances are the same way.
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Why should we not expect the same attitude change when it comes to drinking? Wisconsin used to be a big beer producing state. Most of those breweries are gone now. Lets get rid of the culture of “drinking is the only thing to do when your bored”. Yes it has to start with the parents setting an example by changing there Partying ways when there kids are young. Don’t wait until they are teens to try and change your behavior in order to influence theirs. It needs to be done early.
I can’t tell you how many times I have seen Wisconsin Parents let there little kids have a drink of beer “so they could taste it” rather than think “what kind of example am I setting”
It is no different than a parent making there kid where a bike helmet while they go naked skulled, or a parent that doesn’t buckle up and wonder why there kids don’t when they start to drive.
Yes Parents need to lead by example, but let’s not loose this current generation of teens to the bad example of there drunken parents. The laws are good ones using the only incentives we have for teens in towns like Evansville. If you don’t have your drivers license then you can’t get around.
And to the parents of kids going out for a drunken night, don’t wait for the law to take away there license, take away there driving privileges yourself. It’s called parenting.
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Save lives. Be a parent, not a friend.

nowind,
My point is that the drinking age should not be as high as it is. There are some things which clearly are not reasonable, which you even pointed out. Driving on the wrong side of the street in an uncontrolled situation is very dumb, even if you are trying to do it safely.
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The only mixed message that we are sending teens is that we don't drink responsibly even though we preach it. I'm not talking about individuals, I am talking about adults as a whole. Until adults learn to drink responsibly, teens will always have those irresponsible figures who they emulate. You say that teens are not mature enough to be responsible, but I have seen the opposite. Why is it that the United States has the highest legal drinking age of any country, yet we also have the most problems with alcohol? Increasing the legal drinking age hasn't done anything, it needs to be brought back down. Teens are going to drink, and we can't stop them... instead of trying to prevent it, we should ensure that they do it responsibly.

Amen, nowind!!!! You hit it on the head! We need to stop sending mixed messages to the kids.

Irishgirl: I too am sorry for your loss and for not understanding what you were really trying to say. As for a solution, I am not sure what will work. I still think it has to start with the parents. When I think back to my wild teen days, I remember always having that invincible attitude that teens have, that is what makes them too immature to drink. Some of the others on here think that it is ok for teens to drink at home and that they are resposible enough to handle it. I don't believe that they are. Looking back on my wild teen years, what I thought were responsible decisions and actions sure weren't! I still believe that teaching kids that it is wrong to drink until they are of age is the right thing. They have to be taught responsibility, accountability and respect before earning adult privileges. I know kids will be kids and push the envelope all they can, but that is where parents/adults come in, we need to teach them to effectively set limits by setting those limits for them as kids..of course those limits need to be explained so they get the etiology of them. My own kids didn't do half of what I did as a teen, and I am so thankful of that, but it was a lot of hard work staying one step ahead of them all the time. Too many parents let their kids come and go as they please now. The kids have no limits. This is sad.

Thekei Said:
"Besides being against the law, I really don't see a problem with under age kids who drink responsibly"
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Let’s break into houses; as long as we do it responsibly, let’s drive on the wrong side of the road, as long as it is done responsibly.
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Let’s break the LAW as long as we do it responsibly. Come on, Breaking the Law is breaking the law. It you break the law own your mistake and expect to deal with the consequences. If it is not a mistake but a lifestyle choice, then you have made a choice and should not complain when you get in trouble.

I see last weekends underage party bust made the public record section today. Interesting of age participants.

wiskitty: I am so very sorry for your pain and the loss of your family memeber. I too, have lost 2 members to drinking and driving, and know how it hurts. I am no condoning there actions by any means, I am very much against it. Let me clarify that I don't know when the parties are going on, I only know after the fact. If I knew before they left, I could do more about it. They don't let me know that I am on standby because they are going out drinking, that is far from the fact. I have asked them not to do it at all. I have turned in one of the boy's for drinking, he is on probation. Do you think it did any good? It didn't, and he continues to drink. He has been turned in by his own mother, he just continues to lie to us, says he isn't drinking, but wait until 2 days go by, and they don't think you are listening, the story then changes. He luckily has not had a DUI, but the fact remains, he is still drinking and driving. If you have any suggestions to stop him, I am all ears.
Again, sorry for your loss.

I think all of you are missing the bigger picture. I honestly don't believe under age drinking is a big problem at all. ALL drinkers need to drink responsibly, and at the end of the day, that is the real problem here. What's wrong with a sixteen year old having a couple beers? They are mature enough at that age to drink responsibly, yet most don't. The reason is because most adults are not drinking responsibly. The drinking age needs to be lowered, and penalties for not drinking responsibly need to be stricter. I think that many adults who condone under age drinking actually have the right idea... it's ok if you're not stupid about it. It's the, "You can't drink, you aren't 21!!!" attitude of adults who do not choose to drink responsibly that causes all these problems.

Irishgirl: That's exactly the attitude that was mentioned in the article: until there is a shift in society away from adults condoning the underage use of alcohol, and making excuses for the kids when they do it, there will only be limited success. Or, to put it another way, until folks in Wisconsin stop looking at drinking as a sport, the problems will persist.

Irishgirl: I understand you mean well by not turning in your nephews parties, probably because you don't want them mad at you for narcing...but I can tell you that I would gladly welcome my nephew's anger. You see, he died at just such a party on Memorial Day 2003. If I had known about the party would I have turned them in..probably, like you, I wouldn't have. Would I turn them in now...YOU BET! It's sad that it took his death to make me realize that someone else probably knew about the party and could've stopped it but didn't. I WON'T make that mistake ever again. I used to drink a lot in my teen years. I look back now at all the times I could've been killed. I rarely touch it now. What kind of message do you think you are sending your nephews? I understand the safe message about them calling you, but the other side of that is the message that it's OK to break the law AND drink and drive while mudding. Just because it isn't on the road does not mean it's safe! You are right we need to teach common sense, which just isn't done anymore. I am not trying to rag at you, I just don't want you to ever have to suffer the pain of something happening knowing that you could have prevented it.

try2binformed: Trying to round up all of the kids at the field parties would be like rounding up a bunch of wild horses. There are those that will be caught, and those that get away. There peers are not going to give names. They just do it all again the next weekend, in a different location. Kids are no different today than when I was growing up. Road drinking was the big thing back then, so you tell me why the kids today are worse than when we were kids. You are not going to stop them, like it or not. They just have to face the consequences when they get caught. Just as back in the day.
You can not be with the kids 24/7 to make sure that they are not doing anything wrong. They make there choice to drink and drive, as sad as it is, some one is going to get hurt. And you as adults can not tell me that you have never had a drink or two and drove home, but it's ok, it was only 2, and I am an adult. That does not make it any more correct than what the kids are doing. Let's be more understanding with the drinking problems, and instead of everyone complaining about this, or asking when something is going to be done, help come up with a solution for your town, and government. Maybe some of the kids who are still young enough can be taught a different way than what is going on now.

greenmom
I agree. Unfortuantely, we are up against the modern age intellects when it comes to that. Even the schools are handcuffed when it comes to good, solid, core valued rules. There's too many groups of people out there who have their own agenda's and are into this "politically correct" garbage. Could you imagine if we had leaders in our schools and other organizations that stood for principle's regardless of the consequences?? Could you imagine someone actually taking a stand for something they know is right or a stand against something they know is wrong and courageously holding their ground regardless of the consequences to them personally?
The modern day intellects have no problem complaining when they feel they've been violated and the first thing they do is go running to the govt. because it doesn't fit their agenda. Even though it compromises the freedoms of the majority, these people are self serving and don't care. As long as it works for them, it's "their truth" and it's good enough. The people that stand by and watch this happen and don't make a stand are selling out their freedom for security. It's been happening so long, it's now just accepted. We have too many good people who are part of the problem because they choose to do nothing. It's sad.

irishgirl: "I know where these parties are held, and could tip off the cops at any given time, but they are not stupid, they know this is going on, it get's busted, they just go on to the next location until that get's busted. I know the names of many of the kids in attendance as regulars...... rat them out, never"

And people wonder why the problem is perpetuated, not to mention the safety issues! "Common sense is the key for everyone.... some get it, some don't."

Oh how very apparent.

I agree with Prevention. I just wish that in our community the school administrators would get tougher on kids and parents that sign the Co-Curricular Handbook.

If they busted all the parties during the summer the next years sports teams would have trouble fielding competitive teams.

USR- What do you mean there is nothing to do? That is one of the poorest excuses anyone can use. There is ALWAYS something to do. Use your imagination, be adventerous. Kids DO NOT have to be entertained 24/7. We didn't have half of the things kids now days do, and we never said there was nothing to do, we made our own fun, and we have many fond memories of doing just that.
Let's face it, in Evansville, the fun thing to do is drink, go mudding, 4 wheeling, and stay out all night. The majority of the kids are underage that are doing this. I have 4 nephews that go to these parties all of the time, and that is what I hear about on the weekends is the party, the drinking, and how stupid kids can be. I know where these parties are held, and could tip off the cops at any given time, but they are not stupid, they know this is going on, it get's busted, they just go on to the next location until that get's busted. I know the names of many of the kids in attendance as regulars...... rat them out, never, give my nephews my phone # to call if they do drink, cause let's face it, they are going to, so that they have a "safe" ride home. Kid's learn from mistakes, some take longer than others to learn, and there isn't a magic answer to teen drinking, nor adult drinking. Common sense is the key for everyone.... some get it, some don't.

hannah, thats exactly right.
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WHEN did "having a party" start automatically meaning that there was going to be alcohol and all manner of stupidity going on????????????

You have to take the license away from underagers because there is nothing else you can take away from them that they'll give two hoots about unless you take away their freedom by putting them in jail or juvy.

And you can't say that juvy is the place to put them because most of these kids or younger adults would end up in JAIL because underage is under 21, not under 18 and even so, the majority would be able to be waived into adult court therefore making juvy nearly irrelevant.

hey janesville even made it illegal to scateboard on the street.. Town is a joke but maybe someday we'll come out of our I know what's good for you mentality.
On underage drinking I don't know if tougher laws make that much difference. Seems like the same amount of people will always take a chance and roll the dice no matter what the penalty. Like prohibition the alcoholic rate stayed the same they just hid it better..

USR,What are they "doing" while drinking. That isnt an excuse. You can have a party and not serve booze!!Get a hobby , read whatever.play board games, video games,sports, They shouldnt have shut down Skatin Place

The main problem is there is nothing else for teens to do. If they had something else to do maybe they wouldn't drink so much. In Janesville they are trying to get a skate park built to give the teen something else to do but building something like is not cheap.

Evansvillehousewife. You are correct. There are many ways to lose a driver's license, even though the offense has nothing to do with driving. That is wrong, and needs to be changed. I understand driving is a privilege, as opposed to free travel, which is a right, but there needs to be limits on why that privilege is revoked. Suspending someone's driver's license for something unrelated to driving seems like unusual punishment to me. Will I lose my driving privilege someday for not mowing my lawn? Maybe underage people should have their driving license revoked if they're caught smoking cigarettes. What if they refused to take off their "Stop the illegal war in Iraq" tee shirt at school, do they get their driving license suspended? Where does this end? She should have gotten a ticket for underage drinking, and maybe take a class to have the fine reduced. I'm not saying she shouldn't have been punished in some way, I'm saying her driver's license should have nothing to do with it unless she was driving. rlms - I am a former underage drinker, not a current underage drinker since I turned 19 many years ago, which was the drinking age back then. I also don't drink today at all, and would approve of much stiffer penalties on multiple DUI cases.

justmyopinion, detention hall sounds great until you realize that in detention, kids network. It's like crime high school for some kids. Most professionals I know want to do everything they can to keep the saveable kids OUT of detention, because when they come out, they're usually hooked up and ready for more mayhem.
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I looked up the law and found that the legislature specifically in 2003 granted muni courts authority to handle certain juvenile offenses such as drunk driving. The basic idea seems to be bringing the supervision closer to home. To that extent, this is along the lines of what our drug court is working on.

Kudos to the judge for having to play parent to kids, in addition to everything else!

I don't think sending the kids to Juvi would do any good. It's not a scary place and is usually nothing more than bragging rights.
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Besides being against the law, I really don't see a problem with under age kids who drink responsibly. Responsibility is key though. Maybe one reason they aren't afraid of drinking and driving so much is because adults clearly are not afraid. I've said it once and I'll repeat, a first offense DUI should make a person lose their license for no less than one year. Also, alcohol counseling should then be court ordered, and must be completed even before attaining an occupational license. It doesn't matter how old you are, if you drink and drive you deserve strict punishment.

So many things need to change in this state, not just how we deal with underage drinking. How about how we deal with adults who are legal age to drink but are as stupid as the day is long and drink and drive. Don't just suspend their license , impound their vehicle, because to many drunks continue to drink and drive after being revoked or suspended. They have no respect for the law. There needs to be mandatory jail time the first time/ Wisconsin needs to get alot tougher.

maybe sannio is a current or former under age drinker. His comment does not show much common sense. Underage drinking is illegal. He has the right to impose what he law says. Excellent Judge, Excellent person.

How about a little time in a detention hall?? We really need to be scarring the crap out of these "kids" or the next thing you know they are the classic 40 year old with 6 DUIs still driving drunk and killing innocent people!! This has got to stop!! No penalty is too tough.

sannio, the municipal court exists for violations of state law within the municipality as well as local ordinances. This system has been in place since the beginning of the state of Wisconsin, so I don't really understand how it's suddenly "broken".
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As for Janesville, which doesn't have a municipal court, Rock County does have drug court. The point is to offer the offender alternatives so that they have an opportunity to learn from their mistakes. We KNOW that just punishing doesn't work, so punishing harder isn't an improvement. But monitoring an offender and connecting them with resources does. It seems there is some attention to that aspect in this policy, but the story doesn't really indicate that it's a focus. I would like to follow outcomes from this approach versus the drug court approach.

Sannio, This is just on offense, and a good one, that you can lose your license for.
You can also lose your drivers license for unpaid child support. You can also lose your hunting license for unpaid child support.
As far as "grounding" kids... obviously too many parents WON'T ground their kids.. in the case of that 16 year old murderer with 3+ DUI offenses... her parents AIDED her in drinking.

Kids ALWAYS lose their license for DUI when they ae underage, it's Wi's "not a drop" law.

Ground them? There are parent that give half barrel parties for their kids junior proms in Janesville! The parents are a big part of the problem. The cops bust parties but don't ticket the parents (except in Walworth County when it's the Librarian) especially when they have connections somewhere. All these facts just encourage the practice and make it a matter of time before another 16 year old is facing homicide charges.

I think I may need to read this article a few more times; I may have missed something. Is this for underage "drinkers" and not for those that are underage and DUI? It all still sounds too lenient. What about drug and alcohol counseling? After reading all the articles on that Hart girl I am all for making the consequences REAL HARD for teens and the parents. Granted my child is still young but if he/she were to be out drinking or drinking and driving at 16 you can better believe I would have her/him on a short leash! What ever happened to GROUNDING children. You tell them they go to school and back home. If they want to go somewhere you (the parent) will drive them there and back. Parents need to take responsibility for raising their children. I watch what I do and say around my child because I want to set a good example. What about a “scared straight” program. For example with that Hart girl...after she killed an innocent man she should have been left in the morgue overnight with him! Let her see the damage she caused. Maybe all her little friends who think it’s so cool to drink and drive should have had a visit there too. In high school we were shown a movie showing real abortions being given and the results (the babies) and 20 some years later those grotesque visions are still vivid in my mind; what lesson did I learn? NOT TO HAVE AN ABORTION! My parents were very strict with me and made drinking a “bad thing” so the first chance I got I went out drinking; granted I did wait until I was legal age! I think educating our children about alcohol and drugs needs to start at home. Don’t ignore it and hope your child will do the right thing. I was a “good Catholic girl” but when away from Mommy and Daddy I did everything they warned me not to do; they didn’t talk to me about making choices; they just said, “don’t do it”. You can talk to a child until you are blue in the face but until they experience something they can’t understand it. So I say, let them see the real result of drunk driving accident; spend the night in a morgue; GET IT THROUGH THEIR HEADS.

good job judge. more judges need to enforce the MAXIMUM if there is alcohol involved at all. these penalties point out just how laughable our current drunk driving records are. 4 underages=2 years no license. 4 drunk drivings=2-3 years no license. sick

These penalties are a good start. They need to be pushed into the "of age" world, though. If you get a DUI, you should lose your license for no less than a year. Drinking and driving is a serious offense and we lose way too many lives to it every single year. The bottom line is, don't drink and drive. I don't think under age drinking is anywhere near as big of a problem as operating while intoxicated.
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On my first trip to Germany, when I was 16, we stayed up drinking all night with the Germans. By about 3 AM no one was really drunk, and my American friend and I mentioned that to my German host. He simply replied, "Das ist die Kunst." Literally translated it means, "That is the art."

Moving here from out of state fourteen years ago, the first thing I noticed is that Janesville has a culture of drinking and mostly too much. It starts with many parents who spend most weekends at local taverns, which sets a bad example. It seems as though the mentality in the area is that if you don’t drink you’re not cool. There is nothing wrong with a bit of social drinking, but it shouldn’t become the main source of anyone’s entertainment. Moreover, I think it’s important that Janesville works for alternatives for teenagers so that drinking isn’t the only option. I would also recommend tougher education on the results of drinking too much and how it can ruin people’s lives.

She should start by telling the truth........how many parties have you been at since this ticket? It all sounds good in the paper.

Janesville could take a lesson. Let's see if there is a story in the Gazette on the party busted this weekend.

I don't understand what gives a city the authority to suspend someone's State issued driver's license for a non-driving offense. That's wrong, and sends a horrible message to young people. It tells them the system is broken, and to not bother with it.

Looks like our judges are gifted in the area of COMMON SENSE....if that little girl Hart was in our town she would have off the streets long ago. Great job judge, glad to vote for you again!!