Comments on: Undercover Sweep Targets Underage Alcohol Sales In North Escambia

By: Chris

Chris — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 04:50:56 +0000

///Some of you people confuse me. We just read on this very site about three 16 year old girls involved in a near fatal car accident where alcohol was a factor. ///

Right.

This is hardly an acceptable argument. For one, there’s no guarantee that these 16 year olds got the alcohol themselves. It’s far more likely someone bought it for them.

How about the parents? How late was this accident? 1-2AM? The parents didn’t think that maybe their kids were doing something wrong?

How about all the deaths/accidents from drivers of age? Should we be refusing the sale of alcohol to people 21 or older? I don’t understand what age has to do with DUI.

I’d wager thousands of adults drive drunk every day.

By: Big B little ill

Big B little ill — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 20:11:07 +0000

Some of you feel like they have better things to do with their time like arrest more hardend crimminals.I promise you is hard to forgive when that teen is so drunk he kills someone in an accident. The man who sold the beer to the young man, well they will want to sue him, place him in jail for life. Just let the law do their jobs and don’t be so hard on them. Just like most of you, they like to hear thanks, great job, just a like gratitude for every time they have to chase someone or get placed in harms way. Then some will say thats what they get paid for. Well sometimes the pay just ain’t that great.
Yep forgive the man 73 year old gent, he’s only human but a sting is a sting so be careful what you do. That stinger may hit you.

By: Janice Parker

Janice Parker — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:57:49 +0000

I’d like to know how many of you “FOR SHAME, FOR SHAME” people tried to illegally buy these things when you were teenagers. I worked convenience stores for years and I carded everyone I was suspicious of. Never had a problem. Refused a lot of people. Maybe if these clerks took the time to call law enforcement when one of these situations arose, that would be the best deterrent. Every convenience store clerk has to attend alcohol vending school, but they’re not told what their rights are, and what is or is not legal for that minor. All they’re told is that it’s illegal for them to sell to a minor. I attended one. These clerks are trying to ,in some instances, just make a living, or supplement their income. They’re human and we all make mistakes. A convenience store is not a choice place to work. A friend of mine was working a store in Pens. When the kid came in followed by an older man, she recognized it as a set up. When the kid handed her the ID, she turned around and dropped it in the safe. The officer was furious, but there was nothing he could do about it.

By: deBugger

deBugger — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 19:25:51 +0000

I fully understand the need to “go after” clerks & businesses that routinely “let it slide” when young adults w/out proper ID attempt to purchase alcohol, cigs, porn, sex toys, whatever—

My point is that the old gentleman @ BT&M is NOT routinely “ready, willing and able to commit the crime charged”.

If Ms. Parker is correct, the “agents” sent an underaged individual into these establishments with the foreknowledge that he/she was attempting to illegally purchase said products, which, in itself, is a violation of law. This is the problem with “undercover” or “sting” operations much of the time: ofttimes, the crime being solicited is less of an infraction than the acts of the “agents” or “informants”.

It is correct to question the motives of many of these “informants”, since it is well-known that law enforcement coerces cooperation from persons that have outstanding cases working through the system. “You can help yourself out here, just help us out a little,” is the common refrain.

By: AC

AC — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 18:14:54 +0000

From the website: http://www.lectlaw.com/def/e024.htm

ENTRAPMENT
– A person is ‘entrapped’ when he is induced or persuaded by law enforcement officers or their agents to commit a crime that he had no previous intent to commit; and the law as a matter of policy forbids conviction in such a case.
However, there is no entrapment where a person is ready and willing to break the law and the Government agents merely provide what appears to be a favorable opportunity for the person to commit the crime. For example, it is not entrapment for a Government agent to pretend to be someone else and to offer, either directly or through an informer or other decoy, to engage in an unlawful transaction with the person. So, a person would not be a victim of entrapment if the person was ready, willing and able to commit the crime charged in the indictment whenever opportunity was afforded, and that Government officers or their agents did no more than offer an opportunity.
On the other hand, if the evidence leaves a reasonable doubt whether the person had any intent to commit the crime except for inducement or persuasion on the part of some Government officer or agent, then the person is not guilty.
In slightly different words: Even though someone may have [sold drugs], as charged by the government, if it was the result of entrapment then he is not guilty. Government agents entrapped him if three things occurred:
- First, the idea for committing the crime came from the government agents and not from the person accused of the crime.
- Second, the government agents then persuaded or talked the person into committing the crime. Simply giving him the opportunity to commit the crime is not the same as persuading him to commit the crime.
- And third, the person was not ready and willing to commit the crime before the government agents spoke with him.
On the issue of entrapment the government must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant was not entrapped by government agents.

By: One citizen

One citizen — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 14:17:02 +0000

Some of you people confuse me. We just read on this very site about three 16 year old girls involved in a near fatal car accident where alcohol was a factor. What a perfect time to conduct such an operation. I applaud the officers in north Escambia County. We need to work with them to make a safer community.

By: Janice Parker

Janice Parker — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 13:11:11 +0000

I may be wrong, but I understand that it is a crime for anyone underage to attempt to buy alcohol or cigs. Wonder if a clerk could file charges against these young people. In the state of Alabama, the clerk has the right to confiscate their false id, and I think this is true for Fla. also. Don’t know how much they’re paid, but some of them have probably been in trouble and may doing a trade off. I’ve also wondered if their parents know where they are and what they’re doing when they’re with one of these agents.

By: smokey

smokey — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 13:03:35 +0000

too all you people who have nothing but negative comments about this…….i guess if you had a loved one killed by an underage teenager that had been drinking you would be blaming the law enforcement establishments for this also. some of you have the need to complain about everything……get off your butts and get involved in cleaning up our area or shut up!!!!

By: AARRRRRGGGG!

AARRRRRGGGG! — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:43:32 +0000

To the person who wanted them to solve murders instead of this,
remember you solve crimes one at a time.
Thats what this was about.

I do however, think and I posted on another post about t another
accident to the sherriff, that this was a joke on him to do this.
On the other post I said WHY.

By: K.B.

K.B. — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:41:57 +0000

AMEN, Bill!!!