PORT ANGELES — The Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office continues to investigate a possible charge of making false statements to police against two Port Townsend adults after minors were found with alcohol at their home at a post-prom party May 31.
Prosecutors will not charge the couple with providing alcohol to the minors, said Jesse Espinoza, Clallam deputy prosecuting attorney, who is serving as a special prosecutor in the Jefferson County case.
“We couldn’t find any solid evidence that they supplied liquor to minors,” Espinoza said.
“We are still investigating the possibility of charging them with making false statements to the police,” he added.
The decision whether to file charges probably will be made next week, Espinoza said.
The Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office referred the case to Clallam County because of a potential conflict of interest.
One of the adults — who have not been named because they haven’t been charged — is a contract employee for Jefferson County Juvenile Probation, said Michael Haas, Jefferson County prosecuting attorney.
The two adults, both 45, were on the premises during a late-night party at their home in the 200 block of Sutter Street just outside the city limits. The party was after the Port Townsend High School prom.
When three deputies arrived, they found what appeared to be “a large number of juveniles outside a house, and there was alcohol present,” according to a statement by Jefferson County Sheriff’s Detective Brett Anglin at the time.
According to a police report, deputies asked one of the juveniles whether there was an adult on the premises. The juvenile went into the home and came out a few minutes later to report that no one was inside.
When deputies requested permission to see for themselves, the juvenile re-entered the home and emerged with an adult, who gave a statement.
The investigation now centers around whether that statement was false, Espinoza said.
“We couldn’t find any evidence that proved they knew about liquor being served,” Espinoza said of the couple.
“The evidence against them was circumstantial.”
About 30 citations for minor in possession were issued. About 25 files were forwarded to Haas’ office, 12 of them concerning juveniles younger than 18.
The rest were for people older than 18 but younger than 21, the legal drinking age.
They have not been identified because of their ages.
Of these, Haas has charged 15 individuals, with the defendants distributed between District Court, Juvenile Court and diversion services.
Haas called the cases “relatively simple” and expected them to work their way through the judicial system in the next few weeks.
A minor cited for possession of alcohol is required by state law to enter a diversion program that can include community service or therapy.
If the minor stays out of trouble for nine months, the incident will never see the light of day, Haas said.
Those older than 18 are treated differently and will appear in District Court, he said.
Haas said the woman under investigation is a Facebook friend.
“I’ve known her for a number of years and have worked with her on both sides of the aisle,” said Haas, a former defense attorney who began his term as prosecutor this year.
“Several of my prosecutors have also worked with her, and we didn’t feel that it was appropriate to have the trial in Jefferson County.”
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
