Bartender's charges go up in smoke

[Mugu]

Case dismissed for woman who allegedly let bar patron light up.

PRINCETON - The case against a Spring Valley bartender accused of allowing a patron to illegally smoke in a tavern was dismissed Tuesday after prosecutors said the state had no right to charge her with such an offense.

Bureau County State's Attorney Pat Herrmann said after Karla Carrington's brief court hearing that once he reviewed the Smoke-Free Illinois Act, which banned indoor smoking in public places beginning this year, he found no authority to file a formal charge.

"Upon reading the statute, it appears the statute does not put any onus on the bar employee or bar owner to prohibit smoking," Herrmann said. "(The act) does prohibit the bar employee or bar owner from smoking."

Read complete article at:
http://www.pjstar.com/stories/031908/REG_BG3IPNK3.033.php

[DCKit]

1. What a smartass!!! Gotta love it.

I hope he's on OUR team.

[Snarkturian Clone]

2. GOOD.

At least somewhere is US is trying to be free.

[Maraya1969]

3. Banning smoking in bars is sacrilege.

And it hurts the economy.

[VP505]

4. Ya, my friend the

casket maker was complaining about that just the other day.:smoke:

[slampoet]

12. Actually that isn't supported by the facts. Here in RI the bar biz went up.

Here in Rhode Island we had bar and club business drop off dramatically after 9-11 and the Station Nightclub fire that killed 100 people.


The Smoking ban brought people back to bars and clubs who hadn't seen live music or gone out for a drink in years.

[Maraya1969]

15. I didn't;t know that. I was being a bit sarcastic about the sacrilege part thought

[Mugu]

5. Self-indulgent kick back to the top. n/t

[snappyturtle]

6. Here's another kick!

:kick:

[MrCoffee]

7. See, what you've got to do, see, you've got to actually READ the law.

That's the secret.

[pleah]

8. K&R

[aikoaiko]

9. freedom

[StarryNite]

10. freedom?

[aikoaiko]

13. You missed the point -- the bardtender wasn;t smoking

Charging the bartender was outside of the law.

[madinmaryland]

11. Ahhh. Haven't had any good smoking threads recently...

:popcorn:

[Mugu]

14. I aim to please. n/t

[KharmaTrain]

16. Another Fine Illinois Law With A Loophole...

And so designed as to play both sides of the money fence. It gains PR and votes for the dominant party...in this case the Democrats, while leaving a loophole (soon to be exploited) where the law will collapse due to lack of enforcement or confusing or ambiguous language. It's like the state law that allows someone to buy ONE gun a day and its not reported to the ATF (which helped lead to the NIU Massacre) or that you could actually give the gun as a gift to someone else and not have to report the transfer.

As always...it's taking a closer look at the law that always reveals ways to defeat it or circumvent it.

I don't go to bars...and not because of the smoke, but because I find them depressing. I have many friends who think otherwise and many are smokers...and I agree with them that if a bar owner, on private property, wants to allow smoking in his establishment, it should be posted and permitted. Let the buyer beware. I don't think this should apply to restaurants or other public places, but bars have long been a sanctuary for people to unwind and if this includes smoking, then so be it. It's a choice to smoke...it's also a choice to go into a bar where people do smoke. One would think there are plenty of bars to go around to satisify all.