Brickbat: Filing the Correct Paperwork
More than 80 college students are facing criminal charges in Fairfield, Connecticut, and the police chief says they shouldn't be. The students were cited by police officers for misrepresentation of age, an infraction which carries a $200 fine, after police raided a local bar and found them with fake ID cards. But the officers cited them under a law that was repealed four years ago. So when the citations got to the local court, a clerk there noticed that and changed all of the charges to misrepresenting age to procure liquor, a misdemeanor offense which carries a larger fine and the possibility of time in jail. "This is terrible," said Police Chief Armando Perez. "I didn't want to hit these kids. I just wanted to send them a message. A fine is one thing, but a misdemeanor can go on their record."