Two Square Bars Charged in 'Sting'

The Crimson Sports Grille and the Spaghetti Club, two Harvard Square watering holes popular among undergraduates, have been charged with selling alcohol to minors.

The two bars are scheduled to appear before the Cambridge License Commission March 28th, according to James Rafferty, an attorney representing the Grille. But Rafferty said that he is seeking a postponement for his client until April 11th.

A License Commission investigator and a police officer apprehended six underage college students purchasing alcohol with false identification on the nights of January 28th and February 2nd, Rafferty said in a telephone interview yesterday.

"They made some inquiries about age to some of the customers," Rafferty said. "[The customers] then produced identification that proved to be false."

The six students will face criminal charges before Cambridge District Court on the 31st, Rafferty said.

But a spokesperson from the Middlesex Country District Attorney's office said the charges against the six alleged underage drinkers have not yet been referred to them. The spokesperson referred all questions about thecharges to the Cambridge License Commission.

Richard Scali, acting executive officer for theCommission, was out of his office and could not bereached for comment yesterday.

Rafferty defended his client's procedures forchecking age.

"They have devised, through training, a systemto check people's age." Rafferty said.

A paid employee and a weekend police detailcheck for IDs at the door, Rafferty said.

But most students interviewed said that it isnot difficult for underage drinkers to enter theGrille.

"I guess most people have fakes so they get inwith that," said John T. McCluskey '98.

Ricky Le '98 said when he first went to theGrille during his senior year of high school on arecruiting trip, he was not asked foridentification.

"I guess it's known as easy to get into," Lesaid.

Grille management refused to comment on thecharges yesterday.

Rafferty said that the Massachusetts lawrequiring a Massachusetts driver's license for thepurchase of alcohol is impractical for the HarvardSquare establishment.

"Being in Harvard Square, a licensee's relianceon only Massachusetts licenses is somewhat of animpracticality since Harvard Square attractspeople from across the country," Rafferty said.

According to an article in Tuesday's BostonGlobe, the commission "sting" operation resultedfrom several complaints of underage drinking inthe Harvard Square area from police and anonymoustipsters.

"So we set up an investigation, particularly inareas where the younger age people attend," Scali,the Commission director, told to the Globe. "Andout of the seven establishments that we checked,our investigators cited the two places inquestion.

Richard Scali, acting executive officer for theCommission, was out of his office and could not bereached for comment yesterday.

Rafferty defended his client's procedures forchecking age.

"They have devised, through training, a systemto check people's age." Rafferty said.

A paid employee and a weekend police detailcheck for IDs at the door, Rafferty said.

But most students interviewed said that it isnot difficult for underage drinkers to enter theGrille.

"I guess most people have fakes so they get inwith that," said John T. McCluskey '98.

Ricky Le '98 said when he first went to theGrille during his senior year of high school on arecruiting trip, he was not asked foridentification.

"I guess it's known as easy to get into," Lesaid.

Grille management refused to comment on thecharges yesterday.

Rafferty said that the Massachusetts lawrequiring a Massachusetts driver's license for thepurchase of alcohol is impractical for the HarvardSquare establishment.

"Being in Harvard Square, a licensee's relianceon only Massachusetts licenses is somewhat of animpracticality since Harvard Square attractspeople from across the country," Rafferty said.

According to an article in Tuesday's BostonGlobe, the commission "sting" operation resultedfrom several complaints of underage drinking inthe Harvard Square area from police and anonymoustipsters.

"So we set up an investigation, particularly inareas where the younger age people attend," Scali,the Commission director, told to the Globe. "Andout of the seven establishments that we checked,our investigators cited the two places inquestion.