Los Gatos Council Passes Strict Teen Drinking Ordinance

LOS GATOS, CA — The Los Gatos Town Council passed an ordinance Tuesday assigning hefty fines for underage drinking and drug use.

The ordinance passed in the wake of the arrest of Los Gatos “Party Mom” Shannon O’Connor, who was charged in October with 39 counts in October related to accusations that she repeatedly pressured underage teenagers to have sex while supplying them with alcohol. She has not yet entered a plea.

Under the ordinance, adults could be fined for hosting events where alcohol or drugs are served to or in the presence of minors. Fines start at $1500 for the first offense and increase to $3000 for later offenses.

After O’Connor was arrested and charged, the Los Gatos City Council asked the town attorney and youth commission to revise its existing social host ordinance, according to a Mercury News report. Interim town attorney Robert Shultz worked with the Youth Commission, Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District, and Los Gatos Police Department to draft the ordinance.

Shultz told the Council that the Youth Commission asked to substantially increase fines from an earlier draft, according to the Mercury News.

See here to read the ordinance.

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