A massive police raid at an Arizona Bar led to 249 arrests in one of the largest underage drinking crackdowns in history.
The raid, which took place in late November at the Tempe Tavern, was the second major raid at the bar this year. A previous underage drinking sweep netted 173 arrests for underage drinking. Of the 249 arrested in this crackdown, 246 were cited and released, while the remaining three were booked into Tempe City Jail.
“The Arizona Department of Liquor and Tempe PD partnered in a joint operation, resulting in a major liquor law compliance check that led to 249 arrests,” said the Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control (ADLLC) in a statement. “This crackdown specifically targeted underage drinking and sent a strong message. Remember to always carry a valid ID and think twice before attempting to purchase alcohol if you are underage. Underage drinking is not a minor issue!!”
The Tempe Tavern responded by saying the establishment is “fully committed to cooperating with all authorities involved.” Management for the Tempe Tavern posted on social media that fake IDs have been a concern for some time, but they claim to scan all IDs presented at the door for entry.
“Tempe Tavern complies with the law, which is why neither the bar nor its employees received citations from the liquor board or the Tempe Police Department,” the business said following the first raid.
Potential sanctions are pending due to the ongoing investigations, but the latest incident could result in a suspension of the bar’s alcohol license.
Avery Appelman Comments
There’s a lot of money to be generated from these kind of stings, especially when you can hand out many citations to patrons and the establishment at once. Many new fake IDs coming from overseas do have the capability to pass a rudimentary bar scanner, but at the same time, it’s not like one or two people slipped one past the bouncer and bartender. It will be interesting to see if sanctions are put in place and how the establishment works to defend itself in court.
We’ve handled countless similar cases in our neck of the woods over the years. Similar bar sweeps happen all the time in Dinkytown, Uptown and downtown, and while they may not catch as many people at once, police are handing out underage consumption citations quite regularly on or around college campuses. An underage consumption citation is a misdemeanor offense, punishable by up to 90 days in jail and fines up to $1,000. We help clients navigate this uncertain time in their life and ensure this citation doesn’t have a major impact on their future.
The common goal shared by our clients is to resolve these cases in a manner that keeps the offense off their criminal records. We have tremendous success, but we partner with our clients to help us help them obtain fabulous results. In underage consumption cases we defend, we have our clients participate in a chemical health assessment and follow the recommendations of that assessment. We demonstrate to the prosecutors that our clients are accountable and personally responsible which leads to phenomenal results. It takes a little more effort on your end and on ours, but it almost always yields a quality result for your case. Let us help you avoid a worst case scenario if you are booked for underage drinking in Minneapolis or St. Paul.
For more information on how we can help, or for assistance fighting a different criminal matter, reach out to Avery and the team at Appelman Law Firm today at (952) 224-2277.
