Underage drinking in the state of NJ
Hi guys!
First time poster here. Sorry if this is long winded or incoherent.
I dunno if any of you are in NJ or familiar with current NJ law, but maybe you can help me out anyway. My mother and I have a problem with our neighbors. Often on Friday or Saturday nights the kids and their friends throw parties (I'm not sure of exact ages, but I know one son is in college and the other is in high school, and both throw parties) that go on sometimes until 4 in the morning. They are outside this entire time and it keeps my mother awake. They are always drinking alcohol.
My mother calls the police every time this happens to no avail. Because she is now left with no option but to file a complaint, she has taken to asking questions of the police who respond to her calls. The most recent police officer told her that underage alcohol consumption is, in fact, perfectly legal in New Jersey, so long as it is on private property and with the parent's consent. I don't know law, but this sounds very, very wrong to me. My mother spoke to an officer in a neighboring town and asked if he could confirm this. He was adamant that this was not true. Underage drinking is ALWAYS illegal in New Jersey, he said. He advised us to speak to the officer's superiors.
While we are planning to do this, I'm wondering if any of you would care to weigh in on the matter. We're very confused since we are getting two conflicting reports from police in two different towns, but the laws cannot vary from town to town- only how strictly they are enforced- correct? Further adding to the confusion, the website for the State of New Jersey says very little about underage drinking, the most useful passage being this passage. This site, on the other hand, seems to support the suggestion that underage drinking is legal on private property in NJ, even without the permission of a parent.
Thoughts?
Thanks for any help you can give!
First time poster here. Sorry if this is long winded or incoherent.
I dunno if any of you are in NJ or familiar with current NJ law, but maybe you can help me out anyway. My mother and I have a problem with our neighbors. Often on Friday or Saturday nights the kids and their friends throw parties (I'm not sure of exact ages, but I know one son is in college and the other is in high school, and both throw parties) that go on sometimes until 4 in the morning. They are outside this entire time and it keeps my mother awake. They are always drinking alcohol.
My mother calls the police every time this happens to no avail. Because she is now left with no option but to file a complaint, she has taken to asking questions of the police who respond to her calls. The most recent police officer told her that underage alcohol consumption is, in fact, perfectly legal in New Jersey, so long as it is on private property and with the parent's consent. I don't know law, but this sounds very, very wrong to me. My mother spoke to an officer in a neighboring town and asked if he could confirm this. He was adamant that this was not true. Underage drinking is ALWAYS illegal in New Jersey, he said. He advised us to speak to the officer's superiors.
While we are planning to do this, I'm wondering if any of you would care to weigh in on the matter. We're very confused since we are getting two conflicting reports from police in two different towns, but the laws cannot vary from town to town- only how strictly they are enforced- correct? Further adding to the confusion, the website for the State of New Jersey says very little about underage drinking, the most useful passage being this passage. This site, on the other hand, seems to support the suggestion that underage drinking is legal on private property in NJ, even without the permission of a parent.
Thoughts?
Thanks for any help you can give!