Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
WILLIAM R. LEVESQUEThe private, after-hours gathering didn't violate Pinellas rules, one official said.
LARGO - It was the last thing Cathy Corry expected to see at a meeting by a nonprofit group that helps teenage girls deal with substance abuse and other problems.
As the May 5 board meeting for PACE Center for Girls of Pinellas Inc. opened in a conference room of the Pinellas criminal courthouse, Corona beers were offered to all.
The meeting wasn't open to the public, PACE board members said. And nobody under 21 years of age was present, they say. But it still bothered Corry, who began asking county officials last week whether drinking was allowed in county buildings.
Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge Frank Quesada, a member of PACE's board, said he brought two six-packs of 7-ounce Coronas and some food, using his own money, to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Quesada said nobody drank more than one beer. He had one himself.
Corry said Circuit Judge Irene Sullivan had two beers. Sullivan was on vacation and could not be reached for comment.
"It's not like the board voted and said: Let's have beer on Cinco De Mayo," Quesada said. "Who does it send the bad message to? The board meeting is private. Here's what I get angry about. PACE is a wonderful organization that does absolutely great things for these girls, and I would not want anything I did to adversely reflect on them."
Corry, 49, a Clearwater accountant active in juvenile justice issues whose own son once appeared before Quesada in juvenile court, said she took offense at the alcohol and refused an offer to drink a beer.
She said she went to the meeting looking for someone, not intending to stay. But she decided to stick around once she saw the alcohol.
"I don't think it's proper," Corry said Monday. "If it's legal, fine. But I don't think the people in that kind of group should be drinking at their board meeting. It's not the kind of ethical and moral behavior they should be doing."
Ron Stuart, a spokesman for the Pinellas-Pasco circuit, said alcohol is not specifically prohibited on county property.
"No rules were broken," Stuart said. "I really think this is a nonstory, to be honest with you. It's a community service kind of thing. The meeting was after hours. What's wrong with it? These are adults. No one is accused of abusing alcohol."
A Pinellas County ordinance prohibits open containers of alcohol on public property that includes "lands or facilities owned or controlled by the county" without special permission.
Stuart said the ordinance didn't apply to this meeting because the conference room isn't open to the public, unlike the courthouse lobby.
"I'm sure they didn't get permission because nobody thought they were doing anything wrong," Stuart said.
Quesada said he called the county's facilities management office to make sure alcohol wasn't prohibited. He said he was told it wasn't. He didn't recall who he spoke to. Facilities management did not return a call for comment.
"I didn't have to ask anyone's permission," Quesada said. "But I wanted to be sure."
The county attorney's office could not say Monday whether the area where the meeting was held is covered by the open container ordinance.
Hillsborough County has a general policy that forbids the sale, consumption and possession of alcoholic beverages on county property. The county commissioners can waive the rule.
In 2001, Hillsborough Circuit Judge Ed Ward was accused of drinking at the courthouse and offering beer to women.
He resigned after an investigative panel found probable cause that he violated rules of judicial conduct by engaging in a pattern of sexual harassment.
Sally Zeh, executive director of PACE, said it is the group's policy that no alcohol be served when minors are present.
"I thought it was very nice of Judge Quesada to bring refreshments," said Zeh, who said she drank ice water instead of beer.
She said alcohol is normally not served at PACE board meetings.
Corry said she awaits word from the county attorney's office about whether the public can bring, at the least, unopened containers of alcohol into the courthouse.
If told they can, Corry said she will show up with beer for judges.
"A rule is a rule," Corry said. "What's good for the judges should be good for everyone else, too."
Times staff writer Graham Brink contributed to this report.