Chafee’s Son Tied to Underage Drinking Incident on Governor’s Property
Thursday, June 21, 2012
A teenage girl was hospitalized for alcohol poisoning following a Memorial Day party at the Exeter home of Governor Chafee, according to local radio station.
The party was thrown by Chafee’s son, Caleb. The report, which was obtained by the radio station but has not been released by State Police, indicates that the Governor and his wife, Stephanie, were not in attendance.
Statement to Law Enforcement
In the report filed by State Trooper Melissa Giardina, the highly intoxicated girl was being placed on a stretcher when she arrived at the scene at the intersection of Route 102 and Town Hall Road. The report indicates that the young woman was seen vomiting before leaving the Chafee home, but that Caleb encouraged the girl’s friends to call 911 after they left the party.
Asked why Caleb encouraged his friends to call 911 after they left his property, the friend said, “I imagine that he didn’t want to get in trouble and implicate his family.”
The friend indicated that between 10 and 15 young people, many of whom had graduated from Portsmouth Abbey the day before, attended the party and drank cans of Bud Light and raspberry vodka near the pool area of the Chafee’s home. An empty bottle of wine was also found at the home.
The girl became intoxicated at the party and Caleb asked the group to leave.
"[Name redacted] was getting really sick and throwing up and Caleb asked us to leave," the friend said. “He didn't want anybody to know that we were at his house. We called [name redacted]'s sister at approximately 6:20 pm. Due to [name redacted]'s condition, [name redacted] told us to call 911"
Later that night, the State Police arrived at the Chafee’s residence in Warwick, where they explained to the Governor and Mrs. Chafee that they were investigating an underage drinking incident at their Warwick home. Mrs. Chafee asked to record any conversation between an officer and Caleb. Family lawyer Peter DiBiase then encouraged Caleb to exercise his Fifth Amendment rights.
The incident wasn’t the first time the Governor’s son chose to plead the fifth following an alcohol-related offense. In April, police cited Caleb after he attempted to purchase beer from a liquor store in Jamestown. During that incident, Caleb also indicated that he was unwilling to talk.
Other than acknowledging that they were aware of the incident, the Governor’s office had not released a statement as of Wednesday evening.
Social Host Questions
The underage drinking incident at the Chafee came a year after former Providence Police Chief Dean Esserman was forced to resign following a party that got out of hand at his East Side home. During that incident, a GoLocalProv reporter viewed dozens of young people leaving the Esserman home after the Police Chief decided to break up the party.
Esserman resigned several weeks later and now serves as the Chief of Police in New Haven.
The difference, in Chafee’s case, is that reports indicate he and his wife were unaware the party was taking place. The state’s so-called Social Host law is vague about whether parents can be held liable for underage drinking incidents if they aren’t in attendance and don’t know about the party.
Under the Rhode Island version of that law, adults who allow underage drinking parties to be held in their homes can face criminal charges. In 2008, state lawmakers extended the reach of the law to make adults liable for underage drinking anywhere on their property, not just within the confines of a house.
Dan McGowan can be reached at dmcgowan@golocalprov.com.
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Comments:
Dave Barry
8:29am on Thursday, June 21, 2012
What
Dave Barry
8:31am on Thursday, June 21, 2012
Someone took the 5th...drank the whole thing.
Christopher Lee
8:40am on Thursday, June 21, 2012
It appears Governor Chafee is governing his children about as well as he is governing this state. Probably doesn't believe in discipline. Would rather be his child's friend than a parent who sets boundaries.
bill bentley
12:12pm on Thursday, June 21, 2012
1st off, the incident at Esserman's house was not the reason he left town. It was the excuse that the political jackals used to finally get rid of him. Is this the best Golocal has? I mean, are you serious? And the incept vapid idiots who think they have the market cornered on child rearing or even have a legitimate insight into the Chafee household is really pathetic. Golocal should be ashamed for this type of reporting (its not journalism). I wonder if a "progressive" award for such an earth shattering report will be awarded at the next convention of these self righteous hacks.
Todd B
12:54pm on Thursday, June 21, 2012
@Bill: When the media reported on Caleb Chafee's arrest for attempting to use a fake ID, I wrote that the media was blowing it out of proportion. But when a young girl nearly dies from alcohol poisoning at a home owned by the governor and her friends are asked to wait until leaving the property before calling 911 so as to avoid embarrassing the Governor, it is a legitimate news story.
Mike Govern
2:03pm on Thursday, June 21, 2012
No doubt this will be covered up with little responsibility or accountability assigned while the enabling apologists excuse bad behavior. Another day in RI....
Ernest Wilde
4:04pm on Thursday, June 21, 2012
Once the media figures out the level of malfeasance here, there will not be (& there should not be) a cover up. A young woman is in danger of dying b/c she has been drinking at a party hosted by the Gov's son on the estate. Oops 1. (Let's see: She probably just graduated, too, and is reveling -- too much, in hindsight -- and gets sick b/c she's drinking with her new graduate buddies...where? I wonder if we could have lost a just graduated honors student?)Then, the host, insists that her friends can't call 911 from the property! ?? !! What? This young new graduate is semi-conscious, throwing up and the host says her friends have to take her OFF THE PROPERTY to call 911? Oops 2.
Ed Jucation
4:29pm on Thursday, June 21, 2012
Non story...I'm not a Chafee fan and didn't vote for him but this is a private affair. This could happen to any one of us and how would you like to be dragged through the mud for a stupid thing most teenagerd do? Kathy Gregg should be caned for the way she questioned the governor and kudos to him for keeping his cool. Let's focus on the REAL problems of the state, get people to work and forget about stupid things like this.
Ernest Wilde
4:32pm on Thursday, June 21, 2012
Chivalry vs. cowardice. The son of a leader should have done better.
What needs to be vetted is the calculus of the decision made by the host. I'm sure it's tough being Gov and son however this one needs a man up from both. OK. Kids will be kids. This got out of hand. Bad decisions were made. Mea culpa. BUT...the 911 call should have been made from the estate. Immediately. Period.
This young lady's friends who got her off the estate under intense pressure so they could get her the help she needed probably just graduated, too. Did they need this drama during their revelry.
Ernest Wilde
4:42pm on Thursday, June 21, 2012
Non-story? People lose jobs and go to jail for exactly this and rightfully so. I'm not suggesting that be the case here but insisting that an evidently very mortal ill person (ill b/c of your hosting responsibilities BTW) be removed from your property BEFORE calling 911 is the epitome of wrong behavior that should be scrutinized so others won't do it.
Ernest Wilde
4:44pm on Thursday, June 21, 2012
*mortally
Ernest Wilde
5:17pm on Thursday, June 21, 2012
The fact that a life was endangered is pretty clear from the reports.
Yes. She drank way too much. (The young & especially new grads tend to do that.) But...
Her life was endangered b/c Guv's son wouldn't let anyone call 911 from the Guv's property. You have to ask: Why not?
What's a young life worth compared to....what?
Todd B
12:17am on Friday, June 22, 2012
"How would you like to be dragged through the mud for a stupid thing most teenagers do?"
Yes, high school kids have been trying to get away with underage drinking for a long time. But I can say I never knew anyone that got alcohol poisoning at a party and just about everyone I knew in high school would not delay calling 911 if they thought someone's life was in danger.
The problem is that parents too easily buy off on the "everyone else is doing it". While there was underage drinking in the past, kids got slammed for doing it. Today, parents defend it. Based on the police report, even the girl's mother was reluctant to tell the State Police where her daughter had been drinking. That's right. Her own daughter nearly died and she was worried about telling the State Police that the party was at Chafee's house. Very sad, indeed.
Young Chafee put a lot of people in some a bad position, He may be an "honor roll" student, but he makes some poor choices. Hopefully, his parents will get the kid the counseling he needs.