Man slapped on wrist for beer bash at Civic Center

A father charged with providing liquor to teens at his daughter?s party at McMinnville Civic Center was granted probation Tuesday in a case the judge admitted was sending a mixed message.

?I wonder what kind of message we?re sending when we let this man plea to one count and drop the rest,? said Judge Larry Ross of the 21 counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor against Julio Cesar Cerda. ?It?d be one thing if it was just a toast but the officer in this case said it went beyond just a toast and that?s what worries me.?

Ross declined to rule on the case immediately, instead taking it under advisement Tuesday afternoon before agreeing to a slightly modified version of the plea agreement. Under the terms, Cerda will be on judicial diversion for a year, with his record to be erased so long as he gets in no other trouble with the law. He will also have to perform 16 hours public service work and pay $250 plus costs.

?And, you will provide no alcohol to any children regardless of what they are celebrating,? Ross told Cerda through his interpreter.

Cerda was arrested in January at the Civic Center where his teen-age daughter was having her 15th birthday celebration. The event, quincea?era, is an important observance in Hispanic culture.

A toast to the girl entering womanhood is one of the staples of the celebration. Cerda had rented the Civic Center for the evening at a cost of $1,000 in user fees alone, inviting family and numerous friends of his daughter.

As the party was escalating, a policeman assigned to the Civic Center that night noticed several teenagers drinking alcohol, some toasting with champagne and others drinking a bit more freely. At that point other police officers arrived and placed Cerda in custody and interviewed the teens, mostly ages 14 and 15 from Coffee County, who had been seen drinking alcohol. The parents of the teens were then called to pick them up at the Civic Center. Several other teens reportedly left the building before police could talk to them. No charges were filed against the teens.

The incident has also caused the city to reconsider its rental policy at the Civic Center which allows for the consumption of alcohol by adults during private parties. Parks and Recreation director Carlene Brown has recommended the Civic Center no longer allow parties which include alcohol. A change in the official city policy is pending.