By Shawn Hogendorf, Staff Writer 

A  Prior Lake teenager may be the first in Scott County to be charged with a violation of Prior Lake’s social host ordinance after he allegedly supplied beer to other underage people during a party in the 15900 block of Freemont Avenue last weekend.

As the result of the party, to which police were called, an 18-year-old man was cited for minor consumption of alcohol. Formal charges of procuring alcohol for minors and violating the social host ordinance have also been referred to the Scott County Attorney’s Office for review.

According to the city’s recently passed social host ordinance, it is illegal for any person to host an event or gathering at any home, premise or public or private property where alcoholic beverages are present and the person hosting the gathering knows that underage people may or do consume or possess alcohol.

The statute also holds people criminally responsible for violating the ordinance if they intentionally aid, advise, hire or otherwise procure another to commit the illegal act.

A person who hosts a gathering does not have to be present at the time of the event to be criminally responsible, but homeowners can only be charged if they knew the event was going to happen or were involved in the planning of the party, Sgt. Greg Zollner said.

In this case, there is no indication that the homeowners knew of or planned the party, Zollner said.

A violation of the social host ordinance is a misdemeanor.

A 19-year-old man and a 19-year-old woman, both of Prior Lake, also were cited for minor consumption of alcohol, as were two 18-year-old men from Savage and a 19-year-old Lakeville man.

Through an investigation, police determined that the people at the home in the 15900 block of Freemont Avenue were underage and consuming alcohol on May 23, Zollner said. The 18-year-old Prior Lake man admitted to providing the alcohol and to knowing the people were underage, he said.

How the underage man initially obtained the alcohol is currently under investigation, Zollner said.

The homeowners of the residents where the gathering was held were out of town at the time of the party, Zollner said. Since the incident, the homeowners have been contacted by police and have been cooperative in the case, he said.

 Shawn Hogendorf can be reached at (952) 345-6374 or shogendorf@swpub.com.