Parents guilty of permitting underage drinking

By Courtney Flynn and Andrew Wang | Tribune staff reporters 
8:04 PM CDT, July 21, 2007 
 
 After seven hours of deliberations, Lake County jurors Saturday found both Jeffrey and Sara Hutsell guilty of allowing underage drinking in their home the same night two teenage guests were killed in a car accident nearby.

Both Hutsells also were found guilty of endangering the life of a child and obstruction of justice for furnishing false information to police.

With the conviction each could face penalties from probation to 1 year in jail. The jury of seven women and five men acquitted them of one charge of obstruction of justice for destroying evidence.

The Hutsells each had said they did not know the teenage friends of their son, Tyler, had been drinking alcohol in their Deerfield home until after a crash killed two teens who had been there that homecoming night on Oct. 13.

Both sides provided closing arguments Saturday morning and the jury got the case in the five-day trial about 12:30 p.m. Testimony during the trial suggested Jeffrey Hutsell may have seen signs of alcohol during multiple trips to the party in the basement.

"There were 29 kids down there with beer and rum. There was beer pong, a drinking game, going on," said Assistant State's Attorney Ari Fisz in closings. "There was a party down there that night.

"It was blatantly obvious they knew there was drinking in their home."

Jeffrey Hutsell testified Friday that he saw no indication that teens were drinking and that he would never condone it if he knew. Defense attorneys said during closings the teens drank without the knowledge or consent of the couple, who according to earlier testimony were one floor above the basement, in the family room watching TV.

"Mr. Fisz told you that the Hutsells made the decision for 29 kids that night. Well that's really not true and not fair. The kids made their own decision. They made the decision to drink," said Robert Gevirtz, Jeffrey Hutsell's attorney.

Daniel Bell and Ross Trace, both 18, were killed in the crash which occurred in the 700 block of Summit Drive, the same block as the Hutsells' home. Bell, the driver, had a blood-alcohol level of 0.132 at the time of the crash, while tests showed Trace had marijuana in his system.

"They made a series of horrible decisions. Two boys lost their lives," said Fisz. "This truly is a case about a disturbing lack of parental responsibility." "The death of those two boys hung over this trial all week," Gevirtz said. "Don't compound that tragedy with another. That is, don't convict these two decent and innocent people."