Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 18, 2000)
Drinking continued from page 8B goodness you’re here.” Your guests still face MIP citations, but at that point, you have to fall into damage control mode. Announce that the cops are coming and let them fend for themselves. In order to enter a residence, the police need two things, according to Gilliam. “We have to have exigent circum stances [reason to believe that an immediate response is necessary] and we have to have probable cause,” he said. “Probable cause means more likely than not, some body’s committing a crime. That’s not good enough. If we see a minor in possession inside a house through a window, we can’t just { { There’s not a lot of room to argue that the of ficers shouldn’t be in there. Don’t debate or banter. Things like 7 know my rights’and ‘My father’s a lawyer’are like fighting words for the Eugene po lice. They seem to like to punish people for stuff like that. Ilona Koleszar attorney with ASUO Legal Services rush in and grab the person.” Koleszar said that her interpreta tion of when police are allowed to enter a private residence differs from that of the EPD. Eugene police have maintained that a party where alcohol is being served to apparent minors constitutes exigent circum stances, and allows them to enter the premises. Municipal courts gen erally side with the EPD on this is sue. “There’s not a lot of room to argue that the officers shouldn’t be in there,” Koleszar said. “Don’t debate or banter. Things "like ‘I know my rights’ and ‘My father’s a lawyer’ are like fighting words for the Eugene police. They seem to like to punish people for stuff like that. ” Try as best you can to keep other guests from engaging with the offi cers. It only takes one loose mouth to escalate the situation. The police will find a reason to enter the house, and they are al lowed to do so through force, if nec essary. Koleszar recommends that you lock up tight if the police arrive. “I always recommend that you don’t open the door, and get away from the door because it could come flying back at you,” she said. Koleszar said that police will pre fer to enter in a way as to imply the consent of the residents. If the door is open, front or back, they will walk in. They can later claim that it was an “open party” and that they felt free to come in. They can attempt to coerce a guest into inviting them in, through either threats or offers of le niency. They can force their wav through the door when it is opened to allow a guest to leave. A door hanging off the hinges trumps all claims of consent. “It eliminates that ‘yes he did/no I didn’t’ kind of argument, which the officer will generally win in court," she said. This won’t get you off the hook, but it will force the police to justify the need for the forced entry, which could play in your favor. So, there you are: locked in a smoke-filled house with blankets over the windows and the music off, waiting for the cops to bust down your door. Some party. “I’ve heard stories about some of the younger officers and the things that they did in their youth and be fore they got out of college,” Koleszar said. “Now they’re out there enforcing the rules that cer tainly some of them broke. I’m not suggesting that because they got away with it, they should let some one else get away with it. I would just hope that they could recall their youth and keep things in perspec tive.” Gilliam, when asked the age at which he had his first taste of beer, said “Aw, man. I don’t want to an swer that question. You’re putting me on the spot.” Gilliam also said that there is a high degree of alcohol abuse among many police departments, but said that he has arrested too many peo ple for DUII and seen too many fa talities involving alcohol while on the job. “Let’s just say that I no longer drink.” Tenant rights continued from page 6B lowed. When it came to signing her new lease, Stedman was prepared. “I read the OSPIRG Renters’ Rights Handbook,” she said. After reading her rights Stedman said she felt more secure about not be ing taken advantage of in the future. “There are so many rights I did n’t know I had — everyone should know this stuff,” she said. Jordan Bennett, a pre-business major, encountered problems with a rental company but stood her ground. “I signed a lease and paid my fees but two months later they started adding fees to my lease that I had already signed,” she said. Bennett, however, knew her rights and refused to pay. “I let them know that what they were do ing was wrong and they dropped the fees,” Bennett said. “They just wanted to scam me.” Miani said students can avoid al most all conflicts by knowing their rights and recommended that all students get the Renters’ Rights Handbook. OSPIRG can be contact ed at 346-4377. “I get the feeling, sometimes landlords are counting on students not putting up a fight,” Miani said. Student tips on how to avoid problems while renting “Take pictures of everything when you move in and when you move out.” —Judy Kratochvil, undeclared “Pick a reliable roommate and sign separate leases to avoid roommate problems.” —Glen Phillips, physics “Make sure your parents will give you money to pay for any repairs.” —Grace Foreman, psychology “ Read your lease and keep your pa pers and make copies of every thing.” — Meghann McKinley, journalism "If you’re going to move into a place, write down everything that’s wrong and have the landlords sign the paper as proof. ” — Chris Demaske, Ph.D. “Go with a smaller company and do your research.” —Jordan Bennett, pre-business “Don’t get elected house manager and don’t put your name on any of the bills, then nothing is your fault.” — Becca Richards, communications The ultimate search engine is@your library. Robin Paynter, Reference Librarian, Knight Library, U of O. ition September 29th and 30th ’S 2 far the price of 1 admission wl non-stop music • dancing prizes given away all night long UO stu Music and Fun ALL NIGHT LONG. The best dance party in Eugene jnnial iBlvd. (Next to Autzen S t a d i u nr Pick up an Emerald at 03camPlls & community locations.
