New Bill Could Mean Jail For Parents Who Let Teens Drink Alcohol

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) -- The parents of two teens killed in a drunk driving crash are set to testify for a bill proposing jail time for adults who host teen alcohol parties.

Political reporter Pat Warren reports it stems from a case in Montgomery County.

As WJZ reported, a Montgomery County father was fined for allowing drinking at his daughter's party that led to that fatal crash.

Family and friends of two young men killed in a drunk driving crash attended a hearing for the 19-year-old driver last month. Eighteen-year-olds Calvin Li and Alex Murk were killed.

"We don't have Alex. We know he's never coming back and to live with that is incredibly painful," said his father, David Murk.

The crash occurred after a party hosted by a parent who allowed the teens to drink. He was fined $5,000.

Montgomery County Delegate David Fraser-Hidalgo wants stiffer penalties.

"The big part of the bill, really, is it prescribes the ability for jail time," he said.

In November, a principal at another high school sent this message home: "Please do not host an underage drinking party, as apparently some of you did last weekend. Find other ways to bond with your child. Please."

Fraser-Hidalgo says jail time would be a better deterrent than fines.

"Some of the families have some significant amount of disposable income and in those cases, $2,500 or $5,000 is not impactful to them. But the idea of potentially going to jail, that completely changes the formula in their decision-making," he said.

The bill gets a hearing next week.

The parents of the teens killed in Montgomery County are scheduled to testify at the hearing. The bill doubles the fines and adds up to a year of jail time.