Illegal Alcohol Sale to Underage Individual Leads to Severe Accident

Case Overview

The case involves an illegal sale of alcohol to an underage individual in an area similar to Oregon. The young adult used an out-of-state ID to purchase alcohol, became intoxicated, and drove with other minors in the car.

Tragically, their vehicle collided with a phone pole due to high-speed driving in the wrong direction. A 17-year-old passenger sustained severe injuries, leading to leg amputation. It is alleged that the store involved did not conduct a proper ID check. This is a violation of OLCC (Oregon Liquor Control Commission) liquor licensing requirements.

An expert familiar with these regulations was sought to review this case and determine if the ID check conducted was reasonable.

Questions to the expert and their responses

Please describe your professional background in OLCC rules and regulations, specifically Dram Shop Regulations.

I have several decades of experience in this industry, including serving as a former OLCC inspector. During my tenure, I gained recognition as an ID checking expert in the state. I even produced an educational video on ID checking for the commission, which garnered over 100k views.

What additional information might you need to determine if a proper ID check was conducted in this situation?

To make an accurate determination, I would need more details about the specific circumstances surrounding alcohol sales.

This includes information about how ID was presented and checked at the point of sale. It also includes any surveillance footage available from the store during the transaction, and any training or guidelines provided by the store regarding ID checks.

Have you ever reviewed a similar case? If yes, please elaborate.

Yes, I have previously provided expert services to a law firm in a comparable location to L.A. The case involved determining the validity of an ID presented to the government for licensing purposes.

About the expert

This expert boasts over three decades of experience in the bar industry, specializing in security and ID checking. They have spent seven years enforcing rules and regulations with a Liquor and Cannabis Commission similar to Oregon's, honing their expertise in examining counterfeit documents such as passports, IDs, and immigration papers. Currently, they serve as a public safety officer at a university, executive director of an ID detection firm, and manager at a local bar, further solidifying their extensive knowledge and practical experience in this field.