OPEN HOUSE PARTIES

Definition: A party within a house where anyone, usually kids in their late teens, can go and everyone’s invited who hears about it

Mariah Boulden celebrated her 18th birthday with a party Saturday night at her home in the small community of Cypress, Texas. The party was promoted on several social media sites and more than 100 mostly 17 to 19-year-old partygoers showed up. Gunfire erupted during the party, killing two high school students and wounding 16 other partygoers.

Here is Jeff ‘Paco’ Doyle’s response on PACOVILLA Corrections blog to my post, 18th Birthday Party Texas-Style:

I have a problem with Open House Parties, as do many states. And, I think only a derelict parent and moron would permit his/her kid to invite any dipshit with a cellphone to their home for any reason. Mariah’s folks should ground her and snag that phone too.

“When is an Open House Party Illegal?

More recently, open house parties often refer to parties within a house primarily at which young persons, often under the age of 21, drink alcohol and might also take illegal drugs. The popularity of such open house parties and the resulting problems that they sometimes cause has led some states to pass legislation specifically outlawing them.” (See: http://tinyurl.com/l6vxtve)

Once the first tweet went out, it became an Open House. Open House Parties are a public nuisance and disturbance of the peace by definition, I think. I’m sure even Texas laws of some kind will be rolled out against the homeowner.

Many cities have permit ordinances regarding large gatherings which consider issues such as parking, fire access and extra policing. I think it is fair to say in the Instagram Twitter age, officials are on solid turf banning such parties in residential neighborhoods and issuing/denying permits for Open House Parties in commercial venues.