General District Court Judge Charles B. Foley and Commonwealth

General District Court Judge Charles B. Foley

and Commonwealth Attorney Peter Luke have

had a tough time this year. For days and weeks, they have been sifting through a case that neither of them wanted, which involves young people from some of Rappahannock’s best families.

The case arose from one holiday party last winter, a party that as Judge Foley said in court this week might have been forgotten if a young 16-year-old boy had not died in car crash riding home that night. The fact that Dylan Corbin was a much loved young man and the car was driven by his brother makes all this even more painful.

Several of the participants have pleaded guilty to possessing alcohol while under age. A ,

Virginia has/ a strong drinking law. It says that people under 21 cannot possess alcohol. It is a Class I misdemeanor.

The law has its critics.

You can get killed in Iraq with your National Guard unit if you’re under 21, but you can’t buy a bottle of beer in Front Royal.

The young people at this party were by and large under 21, and some were under 18. The booze flowed all night, and there was no parent figure there to keep people from drinking, driving — or both.

It certainly had something to do with why Nathan Corbin fell asleep while driving, and the car spun off the road. His greatest punishment was in the crash.

But the other youngsters were not behind the wheel, so the message for them was not about drinking and driving. Yet, being convicted of possessing alcohol will stay in their records, be scrutinized for a security clearance or a teaching certificate or a law enforcement job.

Liquor, Judge Foley pointed out is a right of passage in our country, and hoisting one seems easy when your 19 or 20. But if there is a message from this case, it is passing up that drink until you’re legal.