Rand Paul’s Son Cited For Underage Alcohol Possession
The son of US Senator Rand Paul (R – Ky.) was cited for an underage drinking violation on Friday.
William Hilton Paul, 20, the senator’s oldest son and the grandson of former Rep. (and presidential candidate) Ron Paul, is a full-time student at the University of Kentucky.
The incident occurred at the Keeneland racetrack in Lexington at an event called “College Scholarship Day,” which included free admission for college students. At the venue, Kentucky Department of Beverage Control agents cited Paul for possession of alcohol by a minor during a so-called targeted enforcement detail.
William Paul has the option of paying a $25 fine plus court costs in advance or appearing in court on November 15.
Neither a Keeneland spokeswoman nor Sen. Paul’s spokeswoman have as yet made any comment on the younger Paul’s citation.
William Paul was involved in another alcohol-related incident in January at an airport in Charlotte, N.C., in which he was charged with assaulting a flight attendant, underage alcohol consumption, disorderly conduct, and being intoxicated and disruptive.
The Lexington Herald-Leader reports that “Those charges were dismissed in August as part of a deferred prosecution program… Before the charges were dismissed, William Paul completed alcohol education classes in Kentucky, as well as 150 hours of community service.” According to a statement from the North Carolina prosecutor’s office, “Mr. Paul had no prior criminal record, and the manner in which his case was handled is consistent with how the DA’s Office handles first-time offender cases involving alcohol abuse.”
According to the National Institutes of Health, underage drinking is a huge health problem in the US. “Each year, approximately 5,000 young people under the age of 21 die as a result of underage drinking; this includes about 1,900 deaths from motor vehicle crashes, 1,600 as a result of homicides, 300 from suicide, as well as hundreds from other injuries such as falls, burns, and drownings (1–5).”
