Police may charge dad for teen’s hotel bash

Lawrence Police suspect a 47-year-old Lawrence man of contributing to his 15-year-old daughter’s misconduct by renting a hotel room for her and her friends to have a New Year’s bash.

Police went to a room at the Ramada Inn, 2222 W. Sixth St., on Saturday morning acting on a tip from the father’s ex-wife, who lives out of state, said Sgt. Dan Ward, a Lawrence Police spokesman.

Officers found a group of at least three teenage girls and at least four men ages 18 to 23 and “a large amount of alcohol” in the room, Ward said.

As of Monday, no one had been arrested in the case.

Police are investigating who bought the alcohol and are classifying it as a case of child endangerment and contributing to a child’s misconduct, Ward said.

Courts

Drug offender could return to prison

A Lawrence man who’s been freed from prison as he appeals an 11 1/2-year sentence for cocaine possession risks going back behind bars.

Dezerro D. Smith, 34, formerly of Kansas City, Kan., appeared Monday in Douglas County District Court to face an allegation by prosecutors that he violated terms of his release by drinking alcohol. Judge Jack Murphy set a hearing for Feb. 28.

Last year Murphy found that Senate Bill 123, a law enacted to give drug offenders probation and treatment, didn’t apply to Smith because his charge arose before the law took effect. Other judges ruled the law did apply to people in Smith’s situation.

Murphy sentenced Smith to 138 months in prison under the previous version of the state’s sentencing guidelines. Smith appealed, and in June, Murphy agreed to let him out of prison on bond until the appeal was resolved.

The Kansas Court of Appeals has yet to hear Smith’s case.

Civil rights

Wichitan defends self in lawsuit against city

A Wichita man is representing himself in a lawsuit against the city that alleges he was the victim of racial profiling.

Timothy C. Austin, 41, filed a complaint last month in U.S. District Court claiming he’s entitled to $5 million for violations of his civil rights.

A Lawrence Police officer found crack cocaine on Austin in a March 2001 traffic stop. Police stopped him after they received two complaints about a couple in a sedan similar to the one in which Austin was riding going door-to-door in the middle of the night asking for donations for a sick child.

Defense attorneys argued there were no legal grounds for the stop, but District Court Judge Paula Martin denied a motion to suppress the evidence. The Kansas Court of Appeals later found the stop wasn’t justified and overturned Martin’s decision, and charges against Austin were dropped.

The city has yet to file a response to Austin’s suit.

Gasoline Prices

Patrol seeks fuel deals

The Journal-World has found a gasoline price as low as $1.60 a gallon at several stations in Lawrence.

If you find a lower price, please call 832-7154.