Is it legal for a bar to do this?

[MarkE123]

What to do in this situation? Someone who is 18 was drinking in a bar. They stupidly stole some alcohol with 2 friends. They were caught on camera and contacted by the bar instead of them going to the police. The bar made them pay (more than it was worth) for the alcohol, and then they would have to clean the bar once, and then they would be banned from the establishment. Can they legally make underage teenagers pay for alcohol and also work? If the teenagers decide not to clean the bar, but they have paid, could the bar place themselves in legal jeopardy by taking it to police as a retaliation, since they commonly serve minors (very lax policies) and made the teenagers pay money for the alcohol they took? This is in Georgia.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

The bar wasn't selling the drinks to the minors. They were levying a civil fine for their theft like is often done in retail stores.

 

[quincy]

The bar could be violating “Michael’s law” by having the 18-year-olds work in the bar. Paying for the stolen alcohol and banning the teens is not a problem. The teens were violating the law by being in the bar anyway.

 

[LdiJ]

The bar wasn't selling the drinks to the minors. They were levying a civil fine for their theft like is often done in retail stores.

The OP said:

Someone who is 18 was drinking in a bar. They stupidly stole some alcohol with 2 friends.

Two separate sentences. The first sentence was "Someone who is 18 was drinking in a bar." The second sentence was
"They stupidly stole some alcohol with 2 friends". I read that as they were drinking first, then they stole some alcohol.
That would mean that they were previously served.

If you read that differently then perhaps the OP should come back and clarify.

 

[quincy]

The teens were violating Georgia law when they entered the bar.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

Since the OP didn't mention that the bar sold to the minors I inferred it as.

The minors were drinking stolen alcohol. Not that it really matters as far as the civil fine goes for what stolen drinks there were.

 

[LdiJ]

The teens were violating Georgia law when they entered the bar.

If they were served, (before they stole anything) the bar also broke the law.

 

[LdiJ]

Since the OP didn't mention that the bar sold to the minors I inferred it as.

The minors were drinking stolen alcohol. Not that it really matters as far as the civil fine goes for what stolen drinks there were.

The OP needs to come back and clarify.

 

[MarkE123]

The OP needs to come back and clarify.

The teenagers were served in the bar, and there was a lack of ID checking procedures during this process. They stole 2 bottles of alcohol from an unlocked liquor cabinet while they were exiting the bar.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

The teenagers were served in the bar, and there was a lack of ID checking procedures during this process. They stole 2 bottles of alcohol from an unlocked liquor cabinet while they were exiting the bar.

Both the bar and the minors broke the law then.

 

[quincy]

The teenagers were served in the bar, and there was a lack of ID checking procedures during this process. They stole 2 bottles of alcohol from an unlocked liquor cabinet while they were exiting the bar.

Both the bar and the teens violated Georgia law. The teens violated it first by entering the bar.

The bar could be fined and the teens could wind up with a criminal record should the violations be reported to the police. The teens would have to pay for the stolen alcohol in either case and the teens can be legally barred from entry into the bar again.

 

[cbg]

I find it ironic that the OP evidently has no issues with drinking underage and stealing alcohol, both violations of the law, but gets bent out of shape if the bar's solution, which keeps the minors from having a criminal record, does not conform to the letter of the law.

 

[quincy]

I find it ironic that the OP evidently has no issues with drinking underage and stealing alcohol, both violations of the law, but gets bent out of shape if the bar's solution, which keeps the minors from having a criminal record, does not conform to the letter of the law.

The bar potentially could have their license suspended (depending on all facts) so I think the bar’s suggested resolution has more to do with protecting themselves than anything.

But, yes, entering the bar, and underage drinking and theft of alcohol makes the teens actions of greater concern. If they are students at a college/university, their crimes (if convicted) could affect any scholarships or financial aid they receive and potentially could get them expelled. Not to mention potential jail time.

 

[cbg]

Regardless of the bar's motives, the fact remains that the minors are considerably better off with the bar's solution than any other. Yet our OP is scornful of the bar's failure to adhere to the law, while overlooking his own legal violations. That is the real point, not the bar's motivation.

 

[quincy]

Oh, I agree. The bar’s solution seems to be advantageous for all parties involved.