5 who gave alcohol to minor face trial
By Brittany Shammas (Last updated: 06/02/09 11:39pm)Five people, including two former MSU students, could be held liable for providing alcohol to a minor who was convicted of stealing an MSU service vehicle, operating it under the influence and killing an Okemos man in a March 18, 2005, crash.
Minzy Winters and Ashley Meeker, both MSU freshmen at the time, are being sued for furnishing alcohol to then 19-year-old Alexander Hamil, a complaint from Ingham County Circuit Court stated. Hamil, a Marshall, Mich., resident who had no university affiliation, came to MSU on March 17, 2005, to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by drinking alcohol with friends in Akers Hall, the complaint stated.
He was sentenced in July 2006 to 18-20 years in prison for killing John A. Hawkins, 46.
Winters, Meeker and three others could be sued for $25,000 each in connection with the alcohol provision. They are scheduled for trial July 26, 2010, in Ingham County’s Circuit Court.
“You’re not legally able to provide a person under the age of 21 with alcohol,” said Larry Nolan, an attorney for the Hawkins’ estate. “If it is shown that providing of alcohol caused the person to be intoxicated and caused that accident, then you can be held liable.”
Attorneys for the Hawkins’ estate argue providing alcohol to Hamil was negligent and caused Hawkins’ death.
David M. Dark, attorney for all five of the defendants, declined to comment. None of the five could be reached for comment, with the exception of Winters, who said Dark advised her not to speak about the case.
Hamil and friend David Scott gave money to Branch County residents Wendei Sue Hadley and Lauren Rocco for the purchase of a fifth of Popov vodka, the complaint said.
Hadley and Rocco purchased the alcohol and delivered it to Scott, who picked Hamil up and drove to MSU on March 17, 2005.
Hadley, Rocco and Scott face trial along with Meeker and Winters. Attorneys for the Hawkins’ estate argue Hadley, Rocco and Scott conspired to provide alcohol for minors.
Hamil left the dormitory unaccompanied after drinking the alcohol with friends and discovered a university pickup truck unattended, unlocked and running outside the Physical Plant at about 5:15 a.m.
He drove the vehicle along Grand River Avenue and crossed the centerline into oncoming traffic, striking Hawkins, who was on his way to work.
Hawkins’ family could not be reached for comment.
Hamil, 23, was convicted of second-degree murder and is in prison with April 2013 set as his earliest date of release.
Originally Published: 06/02/09 11:39pm
ALUMN
06/03/09 9:02amThis guy still seems to not take any responsibility for his own actions. First he tried to sue the university for leaving an unattended running vehicle (which he stole). Now he is going after those that provided him with alcohol. I also do not understand why those at the dorm party he attended face possible charges for providing to minors when this guy apparently brought his own? How about taking responsibility for your own actions and choices? You may not be old enough to drink, but you are still an adult so live up to it!
Sparty
06/03/09 9:14amRead the article Alumn. Hamil is not suing these 5, it is the estate of the man who was killed.
Steve
06/03/09 9:26amWhy take responsibility for any of your actions when you could become rich by putting all of the blame on someone else?
Ben
06/03/09 10:20amAlumn and Steve, I believe you are missing the point of this article. Hamil is in prison serving his sentence for 2nd degree murder. He has very little to do with this lawsuit other than being the one who consumed the alcohol. The lawsuit is between the victims estate and the people who presumably furnished Hamil with the alcohol.
Don’t just skim articles.
hmmm
06/03/09 10:21amYeah, sounds like they’re just trying to get as much money as they can from Hawkin’s death…pretty sad, actually. Do they think that getting more money is going to fix things and bring Hawkin back? It’s disgusting, and immoral. Wouldn’t you think that, if these people had furnished alcohol, that it would make more sense to give them some kind of sentencing then, instead of making them all fork over 25k to the Hawkin family?? Sounds like a bunch of money hungry people to me.
Someone help me understand
06/03/09 10:29amSteve I know you are smart, so help me out here. The girls being sued are Freshmen, to me that would mean they are 18-19 years old, right. And if that is so, they can’t buy alchohol till they are 21 years of age. So how did they get the alchohol in the first place. It seems to me that it should be the person that bought the alchohol that should be sued along with those that provided it, if they plan to sue. This baffles me???? Those that bought Alexander Hamil, the vodka are being sued, that sounds right, so why not the person who bought the booze for the freshman girls, why aren’t they being sued? Am I reading this right?
No hmmmm it doesn't
06/03/09 10:34amI think that by sueing the people involved in this article it is away of dealing with grief by fighting for the deceased. It sends out a message that we are responsible for the choices we make. I honestly feel sorry for those involved, coz I had my share of drinking underage at one time in my life and I didn’t make good decisions. I am just glad that I am not having to face the consequences of my actions, thank God I never hurt anyone, but I was lucky, these folks weren’t.
Sam Bernstein
06/03/09 11:12amThe family getting a bunch of money from a couple of college kids to buy boats, flat screen TVs, a couple cases of Natty Light, and to pay off some credit card debt is true vindication for the dead guy. They should sue Popov for making vodka and potato farmers for growing the potatoes.
frank
06/03/09 11:14amSlightly confused. Is Hamil 19 or 23. The article says both.
I believe that he is 19...
06/03/09 11:23amAnd I will tell you why, his friend Scott had someone buy him the Vodka and deliver it to him, so Scott isn’t of age and neither could Hamil be of age or he would of purchased the Vodka. Also he was hanging around with Freshmen that would put him around 19.
He WAS 19
06/03/09 3:19pmAt the time it happened he was 19, but he’s 23 now, since this all happened in ’05.
I also wonder why those two girls are getting sued. They’re getting sued because they drank with him? That sucks. I’ve drank with someone who punched me in the face later that night. You don’t see me suing him because I’m a money hungry whore. That guy also went to jail last night after we drove him home for something stupid.
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@ he was 19
06/03/09 8:24pmJust because you didn’t sue that person for punching you in the face, that doesn’t make you classy. Get off of your high horse.
ALUMN
06/04/09 9:34amOk maybe I got a few of the facts screwed up in this case. The way it is written it is hard not to. I guess my point is we have society conditioned for passing on blame. The victoms family does have a case for some restitution, but as is typically the case it is not the one most responsible for the crime. Why sue a 19 year old deadbeat, they have no money anyway. Instead they target the university and when that fails those further down the chain get targeted.
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Super Sad
06/04/09 11:35amThat is all I have to say.