Pubdate: Mon, 17 Apr 2006
Source: Daily Pennsylvanian, The (PA Edu)
Copyright: 2006 The Daily Pennsylvanian
Contact:  http://www.dailypennsylvanian.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2730
Author: Jared Miller
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

STUDENT: AMNESTY GUIDELINE VIOLATED

Freshman Says She Was Cited For Drinking Despite Seeking Help

A student has alleged that the University Police  violated Penn's 
medical amnesty policy when issuing her  an underage-drinking 
citation during Spring Fling.

College freshman Anna Moriarty said police cited her  with underage 
drinking and disorderly conduct after she  told Ware College House 
officials that she required  medical attention for a head injury in 
the early  morning of April 8.

Penn's medical amnesty policy states that students will  not be 
punished for seeking medical attention for  alcohol and drug 
overdose, and Division of Public  Safety officials say they extend 
the policy to students  with other injuries as well.

They added, however, that the policy can be waived if a  student is 
"physically abusive to the first responders  assisting them."

Public Safety officials would not provide further  comment by press time.

After consuming the equivalent of three alcoholic  drinks, Moriarty 
said, she tried to jump on a friend's  back but fell on pavement 
inside of the Quadrangle,  suffering a cut above her right eye.

Moriarty said that after her friends informed house  officials that 
she needed medical attention, a police  officer entered her Ware 
College House room and asked  for her PennCard.

She said the officer then asked if she had been  drinking. After the 
officer assured Moriarty that she  would not face punishment, 
Moriarty said she admitted  to consuming alcohol.

"I just assumed she was a medical official," she said.  "I thought, 
'Maybe they need to know for medical  reasons.'"

Moriarty said the officer's badge was not visible and  that the 
officer failed to identify herself.

Following her admission of drinking, Moriarity said the  officer 
informed her that underage drinking is illegal  and began to ask 
questions in what she described as a  "very accusatory" manner.

Believing that she was about to be cited for drinking  in spite of 
her injury and although she cooperated,  Moriarty said, she then 
grabbed her PennCard from the  officer's hand and ran out of the 
room, where she said  about 10 security and police officials were standing.

Moriarty said that one of the officers grabbed her and  she began to 
yell and attempt to break free.

An officer then handcuffed her, she said, and she was  transported to 
the Hospital of the University of  Pennsylvania and treated for the 
injury. She was  released later that morning.

"If she really had head injuries, they really shouldn't  have been 
worried about her drinking," said College  freshman Amy Murphy, who 
was in the room at the time.  "It just wasted time and effort."

According to the University Alcohol and Drug Policy,  "No student 
seeking medical treatment for an alcohol or  other drug-related 
overdose will be subject to  University discipline for the sole 
violation of using  or possessing alcohol or drugs."

Murphy said that, while Moriarty did act  inappropriately, she felt 
that the situation was still  handled poorly.

Moriarty "really overreacted, but she did have a good  reason to," Murphy said.

The medical amnesty clause "is really well-known and  [the student] 
had that in mind and expected it to come  into play," she added.

Moriarty said what she sees as the violation of the  policy was 
unreasonable. She pled not guilty to the  citations at a hearing last 
Wednesday. Another hearing  is scheduled for June 16.

"I just don't like that the one time I would need the  medical 
amnesty, it wasn't there," she said.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman