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ACLU, U. Michigan Student Assembly print house party guide

ANN ARBOR, Mich.-When hosting their next party, the University of Michigan chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union is hoping students don't forget to play by the book.

The House Party Handbook, created and produced by the ACLU, enumerates and clarifies Michigan laws concerning house parties and an individual's rights to have a party without police interference.

The book can be accessed at the ACLU's Website.

The ACLU - with the help of the Michigan Student Assembly's Students' Rights Commission and Student Legal Services - created the handbook, which includes chapters on how to keep the police away from parties; how to act when the police try to enter a party; how to legally serve alcohol and how to protect individual rights.

Co-creator Abe Rafi said the idea for the handbook was developed by a student ACLU group at the University of Kansas. Rafi said he thought the idea would benefit students at the university.

"I talked to Student Legal Services, who handles these cases on a continual basis, and they agree that you can't have a party in Ann Arbor if you're a student because the Ann Arbor Police Department actually has a party patrol that goes around to break up parties," Rafi said.

"Because of this we figured there is a pressing need for a handbook so students can be on an equal footing so they know their rights," Rafi said.

The seven-page handbook includes sections specifically dedicated to serving alcohol and checking identifications.

While the handbook urges students to comply with the laws, it helps to clarify the regulations of serving alcohol. The book suggests that students buy the alcohol themselves and provide it free of charge to guests of legal age. Although selling alcohol is illegal, the book states that students are legally allowed to ask for donations.

LSA senior Justin Rost said the book would help to inform students of their liberties.

"It's nice to know what rights you have," Rost said. "I'm not sure of all my rights, so (the handbook) would be useful."

The section on checking IDs warns students to check guests' IDs either at the door or at the place where alcohol is served, before providing them alcohol.

"The way I view the handbook is, number one, it lets people know what the law is and strongly advises them not to break it. Secondly, it seeks to educate people about their constitutional rights and how to invoke those rights," said Nick Roumel, senior attorney for Student Legal Services who contributed to the handbook.

The handbook also includes two signs for students to hang on the door of their house stating that police officials without warrants or evidence of emergency situations are not allowed to enter.

But the AAPD does not see these signs as a threat to enforcing the law.

"I think officers who respond to calls know the law and know they aren't going to enter without the consent of the owner," Sgt. Lyle Sartori said.

"Even if (owners) post a sign, it's not going to change the way we do business," he said.

Sartori also warned students to be careful because laws differ from state to state.

"Unfortunately each state has different laws and cities have different ordinances," he said.

While the advice given in the handbook may not be applicable in a students' hometown, the handbook does provide uniform information about how to throw safe and legal parties.

"I am excited about the (handbook) and most intrigued by the suggested door hangings and curious to see how many folks will use them," Roumel said.

The signs also include instructions on how to speak to police officers.

"I think it's great. People need to know what they can and can't say to the cops and what will get you in trouble," LSA senior Rebecca Britton said.

But Roumel stresses that the handbook does not condone illegal actions by students.

"In no way are we condoning (breaking laws), but we believe constitutional safeguards are important," he said.

Jerry Mangona, vice president for external relations for the Interfraternity Council, said that the handbook might also apply to fraternity and sorority parties as well as individual house parties.