Prom party parents facing new charges
By JAMIE SATTERFIELD, satterfield@knews.com
May 16, 2007
LENOIR CITY - A West Knox County businessman accused along with his wife of throwing a drunken prom party watched wide-eyed Tuesday as authorities presented a new warrant against them.
“You have new charges,” Loudon County Judicial Commissioner Cissy Chapman told Jack and Katharine Butturini.
The couple, in Loudon County General Sessions Court to be arraigned on a charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, looked at each other in surprise. Katharine Butturini cast a quizzical look at her husband, who shrugged in response.
The new charge leveled against the Butturinis accuses each of furnishing alcohol to minors, an allegation they have denied.
“Several underage individuals said the alcohol was provided by the homeowners,” Chapman read from the warrant.
Jack Butturini is a karate instructor who owns karate studios in Bearden and Farragut. He and his wife wound up in handcuffs after Loudon County Sheriff’s Office Deputy T.J. Scarbrough alleges he showed up at their waterfront house to find drunken teenagers May 6.
A warrant drafted by Scarbrough alleges there were some 50 young people inside the Sandy Shores Drive home. Deputies later cited 20 of them on charges of underage drinking.
Court records allege the couple provided beer and liquor to attendees of a prom party for their 18-year-old daughter and her fellow Farragut High School friends. Records show the couple owns a home in Knox County in the Farragut school zone. A school spokesman said the family can send its children to Farragut because they have dual residency in Knox and Loudon counties.
The Butturinis have denied the allegations that they provided alcohol to teens, contending the drunken kids crashed their daughter’s party and supplied their own booze.
Jack Butturini has said he was asleep at the time Scarbrough arrived and didn’t know his house was packed with boozy teenagers.
Katharine Butturini has said she was making breakfast for invited guests and also was unaware that inebriated crashers were inside her home.
The pair initially were accused of a broad charge of contributing to the accused teenagers’ delinquency, a claim under the law alleging an adult has helped or encouraged a youngster’s bad behavior.
The charge filed Tuesday is more specific, leveling an accusation that the Butturinis actually supplied the booze the youngsters are alleged to have imbibed.
Although he stopped short of nixing the notion of a plea deal on either misdemeanor charge, defense attorney Joe Hoffer said a trial was likely.
“We haven’t had an opportunity to speak with the government yet, so it’s premature to say,” Hoffer said outside court Tuesday. “But I cannot imagine that Mr. Butturini or Mrs. Butturini would enter a plea of guilty.”
Chapman did not require the pair to post a new bond on the additional charges, but she did order the couple be booked through the Loudon County Jail again.
“They’re pretty shocked by the accusations against them,” said Hoffer, who advised the couple not to make any statements to the media as they left the jail.
There is a sign posted at one of Jack Butturini’s karate studios advising any concerned parents to meet with him Wednesday night at the business. Asked if the public airing of the allegations had hurt the Butturinis’ businesses, Hoffer responded, “I suspect anyone that knows Mr. and Mrs. Butturini are as sure as I am that these allegations are untrue.”
Chapman set the next hearing for June 27.
Jamie Satterfield may be reached at 865-342-6308.
Mother involved in teen booze party has prior DUI[SIZE=4]
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[SIZE=2]May 16, 2007
By ADAM LONGO
6 News Anchor/Reporter
LOUDON COUNTY (WATE) – 6 News has learned the mother in the Lenoir City couple charged with providing alcohol to minors during their daughter’s after prom party has a prior DUI.
Jack and Katherine Butturini are charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor and providing alcohol during their daughter’s after prom party. They claim they did not give any alcohol to the teens. They say it was the Farragut students who crashed the party.
6 News obtained a copy of the affidavit filed against the Butturinis. In it, a responding police officer says several of the underage partiers said the homeowners provided the drinks.
A neighbor in the Lenoir City area where the Butturinis live says this was the third Saturday in a row that a loud party went on at the lake front house. The neighbor said she woke up at 3:30 a.m. to the noise and added there was no way the Butturinis didn’t know what was going on.
And Katherine Butturini was charged with DUI in 2005. Her blood alcohol content was more than twice the legal limit. The police report says she ran off the road and into a ditch. She served two days in jail and paid a $350 fine for the offense.
The Butturinis are expected back in court on June 22.
Parties where parents supply alcohol to teens can end tragically. Adam Downen, 18, died shortly after graduating from Bearden High School. The seven-year anniversary is next Monday, May 21.
“We re-live the grief and know what a long hard journey these other families have,” says his mother, Wendy Downen.
Adam died after being involved in a car crash. He wasn’t behind the wheel, but both he and his friend were provided alcohol by parents hosting a party.
Wendy says there were more than 50 kids at the party. But the parent hosts pled guilty to one count of providing alcohol, got a year’s probation and no jail time.
“We know that gets nobody’s attention and the message is you can do these things and get away with it,” Wendy says.
She quickly dismisses the notion that parents are doing what they think is responsible.
“I think they’re fooling themselves. I think it’s the message they’re giving that’s wrong,” she says. “You protect your toddler by child proofing your home and you need to protect your teenager by doing the same thing.”
Wendy and her husband, Keith, advocate for parents to lock up the booze in their homes and lock up prescription drugs.
Both Downens agree the punishments fall short of fitting the crime in these type cases. But, they hope that public awareness will make a difference.
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