John Lennon Cohasset Party Case

Papers reported that "Cohasset businessman John Lennon" was sued when a teenager died after leaving Lennon's son's high school graduation party where alcohol was allegedly served. I represented Lennon successfully in both the civil and criminal actions against him when the D.A. tried to put him in jail and the teens family literally tried to get his assets.

Dr. Arnold Scheller The team doctor for the Boston Celtics admitted playing a drinking game with at least three underage youths at a Cohasset graduation party that also was attended by a teen-ager who died in a drunken driving accident the same night. But Dr. Arnold Scheller of Milton, an orthopedic surgeon, said the point of tossing a ping pong ball into cups of beer was not to get drunk, even though scoring a "basket" meant another person had to drink beer. The testimony came in the trial of John Lennon, 47, a Cohasset oil company executive charged with contributing to the delinquency of minors and providing alcohol to underage youths.

Articles: John Lennon Found Not Guilty

"Cohasset resident John Lennon was found not guilty on nine counts of providing alcohol to minors and one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Lennon hosted a graduation party on June 22, 1996, after which party guest and Marshfield resident Gregory Smith, 18, died when his car smashed into a tree on Summer Street at 3:20 a.m. Smith's alcohol level was .19 at the time of death.

The state charged Lennon with providing alcohol to Smith and nine other teenagers, all students from Thayer Academy in Braintree. Lennon hosted the party to celebrate the graduation of his son from Thayer Academy and his daughter from college... other adult party guests, including Boston Celtics team physician Arthur Scheller, admitted to playing a drinking game with his son, a Thayer student, at the party. Other Thayer students admitted to driving home drunk from the party."

Article: Stricter Laws proposed because John Lennon acquitted

"Amendment calls for stricter penalties for adults who let minors drink
By The Associated Press
BOSTON -- It's been nearly three years since 19-year-old Gregory Smith died in a drunken-driving accident after a high-school graduation party hosted by an adult.
Since then, adults who hold such festivities have been able to do so with little fear of punishment. Under the law, adults who let minors drink on their property are nearly free of liability unless they physically give the drinks to the youths.

That would change under an amendment filed by Rep. Frank Hynes, D-Marshfield, that would make it a criminal offense to be a "social host" who "knowingly and intentionally" allow minors to drink.
If the bill becomes law -- an effort that failed last year -- it would exempt parents and guardians who offer a small amount of alcohol to their children.
"For some, the culture of graduation involves celebration with drink," Hynes told The Boston Globe. "This law will give adults a rationale that says to kids: 'I did it when I was your age, but you can't do it anymore."'
Hynes said Smith's death highlights the need for the stricter penalties.
Smith was killed as he drove home to Marshfield from a graduation party hosted by Cohasset businessman John Lennon where teen-agers helped themselves to unsupervised kegs, and where adults and teens played drinking games together, Hynes said.
Smith had told his mother he would sleep at the house but decided to drive home. He was legally drunk when he crashed his pickup truck into a telephone pole and died.
Lennon was acquitted of a misdemeanor charge of providing alcohol to a minor. If convicted, he could have been fined $2,000 and sentenced to six months in jail.
Cohasset Police Chief Brian Noonan said he supports the legislation."

New Massachusetts Social Host Law passed because of Lennon acquittal.