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Judge to hear Jenna Bush underage drinking cases Friday
AUSTIN, Texas (CNN) -- Two cases concerning underage drinking citations against Jenna Bush will be heard Friday by Austin Community Court Judge Elisabeth Earle, a spokeswoman for the city said. Jenna, 19, is not required to appear in court for the hearings and will not be there, said City of Austin spokeswoman Patty Gonzales. The hearing will begin at 9:30 a.m. CT (10:30 a.m. ET), Gonzales said. Last month, Jenna pleaded not guilty to a charge of misrepresenting her age while trying to buy an alcoholic drink. Her twin sister, Barbara, was also involved in the incident. The misdemeanor citations against President Bush's daughters came after police responded to a 911 call on May 29 from the manager of Chuy's Mexican restaurant "reporting minors attempting to purchase alcohol."
The legal drinking age in Texas is 21. Punishments for such misdemeanors include a maximum fine of $500, a driver's license suspension, community service and attendance at an alcohol awareness class. Jail time is not an option in such cases. Two alcohol-related court casesOn June 8, attorneys for Barbara entered a plea of no contest in municipal court in response to underage drinking charges. The judge ordered Barbara Bush -- who was not present in court for the hearing -- to pay court fees of $100, serve eight hours of community service, and attend an alcohol awareness course. If Barbara, a rising sophomore at Yale University, meets these conditions, the case will be dismissed. Jenna's earlier citation stemmed from an incident April 27, when plainclothes officers witnessed her and an unnamed friend drinking alcohol in the Cheers Shot Bar, on Austin's popular Sixth Street. On May 16, Jenna pleaded no contest to the charge of alcohol possession by a minor and was ordered to take an alcohol awareness class and complete eight hours of community service. In addition, she was ordered by Judge Earle to pay $51.25 in court costs. Jenna recently completed her freshman year at the University of Texas at Austin. Before the second offense, Jenna had been given a deadline of July 18 to comply in order to get the offense dropped from her permanent record. |
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