Lantern
Students puzzled about drinking arrests
Chelsea Whitman-Rush
Media Credit: Shaheen Samavati
Students arrested for underage drinking on Oct. 7 say they were denied their legal rights, stripped searched and verbally abused by police.
Undercover police, in conjunction with the Stop Teenage Opportunity to Purchase (STOP) program, arrested at least 22 tailgating students before and during the Ohio State football game against Bowling Green.
"They never read us our rights," said Jason Sabo, 20, a sophomore in business who was arrested that Saturday. "We were handcuffed and taken away."
"We even asked the officer repeatedly to read our rights," said Jordanne Skocik, 20, a junior in zoology.
Rick Amweg, assistant chief of police for the Ohio State University Police Department, said the officers involved in the arrests were from "STOP," a program designed to prevent underage drinking, which is paid for by federal grants and administered by the Franklin County Sheriff's Office.
Amweg said the arrests made for underage drinking "classify as standard arrests" and are considered "first-degree misdemeanors, analogues with theft, assault and domestic violence.
"In any arrest, there is a process."
Students say although they understand the program's aim, the officers went too far.
"If you call us children and say we're underage and not able to drink, why do you treat us like adult felons?" asked Skocik.
Skocik, who sent OSU President Karen A. Holbrook an e-mail the morning after her arrest, expressed disbelief over the situation.
"I think it's important that she is aware of how her students are being treated," Skocik said.
In her e-mail to Holbrook, Skocik wrote students "were cursed at, humiliated, and treated like animals. I have never in my life seen policemen and people of law act this way toward delinquent civilized young students. None of the students were intoxicated, most were 20 years of age, and were not giving the policemen any difficulties."
Holbrook responded immediately, informing Skocik she would share her letter and get back to her when she knew more.
"There is no situation where people deserve to be treated without respect," Holbrook said in her response, expressing her "most sincere sympathy for such a terrible experience."
Skocik has not heard from Holbrook since.
Amweg said a new procedure will be implemented soon, allowing students to be put through the system without having to go to the jailhouse.
"Beginning with the Minnesota game, Ohio State will have a remote booking system," he said. "What this means is everything we need to accomplish can be done at this facility."
Amweg said the facility will be set up near campus, probably near Tuttle Park Place and Lane Avenue.
Sabo said he felt the officers were constantly playing "mind games" with the students. At one point, an officer told Sabo he would not be leaving until Monday morning because it was the weekend and they couldn't release him.
"The discourse that the officers had in the jail was incredible," Skocik said. "We were called the OSU cheerleaders over and over. F--k was used every other word."
"If you look at the front page of the Franklin County Sheriff's (Office) Web site, it says 'We try to treat everyone with respect.' Well, that doesn't happen," she said.
Alexis Palmer, a senior in interior design, said this situation is similar to what she experienced two years ago, while partying with some friends on Lane Avenue. She was arrested for underage drinking and Palmer said her hands were zip-tied as she sat in the paddy wagon, waiting to be taken to the Franklin County Jail.
"They didn't breathalyze us or anything," Palmer said. "One girl didn't get a phone call and she kept asking. The cop told her that she didn't deserve that right."
Palmer said this wasn't the only case of unfair treatment.
"One of the girls in the paddy wagon really had to go to the bathroom," she said. "(The police) told her the only way she was going to go to the bathroom was to pee on herself."
With no other choice, Palmer said the girl urinated on herself.
Palmer said the treatment worsened when they reached the jail. "They called us b----hes and whores. They said, 'look at these bitches coming in from Ohio State.' They were horrible."
Skocik noted other issues with the process. She said even though her $74 bail was paid almost six hours prior to her release, the statement she received indicated it hadn't been paid until 9 p.m.
Sabo also expressed his annoyance with the amount of time he spent in custody.
He said after his arrest, he sat on the curb at Tuttle and Lane for five and a half hours while the officers processed paperwork.
"I spent over 13 hours in custody," Sabo said. "That doesn't seem like due process to me."
Students puzzled about drinking arrests
Chelsea Whitman-Rush
Students arrested for underage drinking on Oct. 7 say they were denied their legal rights, stripped searched and verbally abused by police.
Undercover police, in conjunction with the Stop Teenage Opportunity to Purchase (STOP) program, arrested at least 22 tailgating students before and during the Ohio State football game against Bowling Green.
"They never read us our rights," said Jason Sabo, 20, a sophomore in business who was arrested that Saturday. "We were handcuffed and taken away."
"We even asked the officer repeatedly to read our rights," said Jordanne Skocik, 20, a junior in zoology.
Rick Amweg, assistant chief of police for the Ohio State University Police Department, said the officers involved in the arrests were from "STOP," a program designed to prevent underage drinking, which is paid for by federal grants and administered by the Franklin County Sheriff's Office.
Amweg said the arrests made for underage drinking "classify as standard arrests" and are considered "first-degree misdemeanors, analogues with theft, assault and domestic violence.
"In any arrest, there is a process."
Students say although they understand the program's aim, the officers went too far.
"If you call us children and say we're underage and not able to drink, why do you treat us like adult felons?" asked Skocik.
Skocik, who sent OSU President Karen A. Holbrook an e-mail the morning after her arrest, expressed disbelief over the situation.
"I think it's important that she is aware of how her students are being treated," Skocik said.
In her e-mail to Holbrook, Skocik wrote students "were cursed at, humiliated, and treated like animals. I have never in my life seen policemen and people of law act this way toward delinquent civilized young students. None of the students were intoxicated, most were 20 years of age, and were not giving the policemen any difficulties."
Holbrook responded immediately, informing Skocik she would share her letter and get back to her when she knew more.
"There is no situation where people deserve to be treated without respect," Holbrook said in her response, expressing her "most sincere sympathy for such a terrible experience."
Skocik has not heard from Holbrook since.
Amweg said a new procedure will be implemented soon, allowing students to be put through the system without having to go to the jailhouse.
"Beginning with the Minnesota game, Ohio State will have a remote booking system," he said. "What this means is everything we need to accomplish can be done at this facility."
Amweg said the facility will be set up near campus, probably near Tuttle Park Place and Lane Avenue.
Sabo said he felt the officers were constantly playing "mind games" with the students. At one point, an officer told Sabo he would not be leaving until Monday morning because it was the weekend and they couldn't release him.
"The discourse that the officers had in the jail was incredible," Skocik said. "We were called the OSU cheerleaders over and over. F--k was used every other word."
"If you look at the front page of the Franklin County Sheriff's (Office) Web site, it says 'We try to treat everyone with respect.' Well, that doesn't happen," she said.
Alexis Palmer, a senior in interior design, said this situation is similar to what she experienced two years ago, while partying with some friends on Lane Avenue. She was arrested for underage drinking and Palmer said her hands were zip-tied as she sat in the paddy wagon, waiting to be taken to the Franklin County Jail.
"They didn't breathalyze us or anything," Palmer said. "One girl didn't get a phone call and she kept asking. The cop told her that she didn't deserve that right."
Palmer said this wasn't the only case of unfair treatment.
"One of the girls in the paddy wagon really had to go to the bathroom," she said. "(The police) told her the only way she was going to go to the bathroom was to pee on herself."
With no other choice, Palmer said the girl urinated on herself.
Palmer said the treatment worsened when they reached the jail. "They called us b----hes and whores. They said, 'look at these bitches coming in from Ohio State.' They were horrible."
Skocik noted other issues with the process. She said even though her $74 bail was paid almost six hours prior to her release, the statement she received indicated it hadn't been paid until 9 p.m.
Sabo also expressed his annoyance with the amount of time he spent in custody.
He said after his arrest, he sat on the curb at Tuttle and Lane for five and a half hours while the officers processed paperwork.
"I spent over 13 hours in custody," Sabo said. "That doesn't seem like due process to me."
