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YART: Yet Another Roomate Thread.

U

Udel

Senior member
Just wondering if some of you guys with legal backrounds or atleast dorm policies could help me out with some advice here. Anyway, here is what happened.

After eating with my friends tonight my roomate gave me a call and said his girlfriend was going to come over for a bit and asked me to give him an hour in the room with her. So, I had no problem at all with that and I called up a girl I knew and spent some time over her place.

Anyway, I headed back to my room, and when I got there is was out of control. A bunch of kids, atleast 10, were cramming in my tiny room drunk as anything. Even worse, they were all shouting like mad men while the music was blaring. Don't get me wrong, I'm a pretty crazy guy, I love to have a good time, but in moderation, and not in my goddamn room. Anyway, I'm not there for 5 minutes when there is a knock on the door. Sure enough is was our RA.

Instantly everyone in the room, including my roomate, cleared out though the bathroom which is joined by the room next-door. Leaving myself alone in the room. Anyway, I had to answer the door. I explained to my RA that I really wasn't a part of what was going on, and he noted that in his incident report that he had to send to the campus police. Anyway, because evryone bailed, just me, my roomate, and one drunk bastard who started convering with my RA willingly are getting the shaft.

I mean, my roomate is a pretty crazy kid. He kind of knows everyone on the floor having gone to high school with most of them, so all I can do without being a real jerk is look the other way to alot of what I know they do. Whats worse is he keeps... personal items stashed in the room. I know one day he is going to get found.

What are my chances of getting off the hook with the campus police when I have to go to speak in court. I was told pretty clearly I would be responsible because it was my room despite me having nothing to do with what was going on. Furthermore, his "stash", would there be any legal distinction between what was his and what was mine in the room is something came up?

CLIFFS:
- Roomate told me he needed some alone time with girl.
- I left something in room, had to pick it up.
- Wild party in my room.
- Got busted, everyone bounced and left me alone.
- Am I dicked?
 
Unfortunately your RA's words are going to count for more than yours in this situation... I think all you can do is find any corroborating evidence (do you have electronic locks perchance?) that proves you weren't in the room at the time and that you had *just* gotten back to your room when the party was busted.

Ultimately you're responsible for what goes on in your room while you're there, and if your housing contract is anything like the one in the dorms I worked in, you're obligated to report any illegal/contractually prohibited conduct. I'm not a lawyer, so I cannot say whether you would be culpable for your roommate's stash, but I would say you're obligated to report it. All it takes is for him to move it from his side to your side to turn it on you, so it's in your interest to get the stuff out of the area by one means or another.

And So is correct, this stuff happens all the time. Assuming you're not going to a strict, small religious college, you're probably not going to get into any trouble for the party if you weren't under the influence and you weren't in possession.
 
meh, happens all the time in dorms. Assuming you didn't get caught (underage) and with booze, you probably will get little more than a stern look. If there was booze, it still happens all the time, so don't sweat it TOO much.
 
Well, the issue is clearly underage drinking. And, I know its not a huge deal but I would really rather not end up getting a strike for it. (3 strikes and your off campus, period). I know you would think, its just one out of three. But figure, I still have 2 years ahead of me.
 
Originally posted by: Udel
Well, the issue is clearly underage drinking. And, I know its not a huge deal but I would really rather not end up getting a strike for it. (3 strikes and your off campus, period). I know you would think, its just one out of three. But figure, I still have 2 years ahead of me.
Click to expand...

1) Were you under the influence when the RA wrote you up?
2) Were you in possession when the RA wrote you up?

 
I was completely sober when my RA wrote me up. I did not have anything on me, my room however, was a mess.
 
Originally posted by: Udel
I was completely sober when my RA wrote me up. I did not have anything on me, my room however, was a mess.
Click to expand...

Was there alcohol visible in the room? Did you have any signs of intoxication, had you been drinking earlier in the evening?

Basically, what evidence did the RA have that you'd been drinking or that underage drinking had been going on in your dorm room?
 
I would say that he has pretty good evidence that drinking was going on in the room. I don't know exactly what he saw, but, there is a good chance he saw something. I had not had anything to drink at all at any point in the evening. I'm pretty sure my RA made note of that in the report. I'm afraid even considering that, that I could get dicked over.
 
Originally posted by: Udel
I would say that he has pretty good evidence that drinking was going on in the room. I don't know exactly what he saw, but, there is a good chance he saw something. I had not had anything to drink at all at any point in the evening. I'm pretty sure my RA made note of that in the report. I'm afraid even considering that, that I could get dicked over.
Click to expand...

You're not talking specifics. Unless the RA has evidence - he saw beer cans on the counter, open liquor bottles on the shelves, etc. - he doesn't have sh!t. He's not qualified to test you for intoxication (though a police officer is, there are tests that can be done without a breathalyzer). He can make a statement like "Well, I smelled alcohol in the room," to which you can reply, "That's nice, do you have any evidence of underage drinking?"
 
Originally posted by: Udel
Just wondering if some of you guys with legal backrounds or atleast dorm policies could help me out with some advice here. Anyway, here is what happened.

After eating with my friends tonight my roomate gave me a call and said his girlfriend was going to come over for a bit and asked me to give him an hour in the room with her. So, I had no problem at all with that and I called up a girl I knew and spent some time over her place.

Anyway, I headed back to my room, and when I got there is was out of control. A bunch of kids, atleast 10, were cramming in my tiny room drunk as anything. Even worse, they were all shouting like mad men while the music was blaring. Don't get me wrong, I'm a pretty crazy guy, I love to have a good time, but in moderation, and not in my goddamn room. Anyway, I'm not there for 5 minutes when there is a knock on the door. Sure enough is was our RA.

Instantly everyone in the room, including my roomate, cleared out though the bathroom which is joined by the room next-door. Leaving myself alone in the room. Anyway, I had to answer the door. I explained to my RA that I really wasn't a part of what was going on, and he noted that in his incident report that he had to send to the campus police. Anyway, because evryone bailed, just me, my roomate, and one drunk bastard who started convering with my RA willingly are getting the shaft.

I mean, my roomate is a pretty crazy kid. He kind of knows everyone on the floor having gone to high school with most of them, so all I can do without being a real jerk is look the other way to alot of what I know they do. Whats worse is he keeps... personal items stashed in the room. I know one day he is going to get found.

What are my chances of getting off the hook with the campus police when I have to go to speak in court. I was told pretty clearly I would be responsible because it was my room despite me having nothing to do with what was going on. Furthermore, his "stash", would there be any legal distinction between what was his and what was mine in the room is something came up?

CLIFFS:
- Roomate told me he needed some alone time with girl.
- I left something in room, had to pick it up.
- Wild party in my room.
- Got busted, everyone bounced and left me alone.
- Am I dicked?
Click to expand...

Whatever happens, I'd ask to change roommates.
 
I wouldn't worry too much about it. At most schools you will have to take alochol classes and thats the end of it. All those do is teach you how to drink efficiently.
what I WOULD do is ask to be moved. Get away from the drugs if you are worried about them. Or, silently go to your RA, explain the situtation and have him deal with it.
 
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