Concert laws/RAVE Act concerns

[Diluvium]

California/USA

Hi everyone! So I have been thinking about throwing a dance party/rave with DJs at a venue in the city I live(Cupertino) around Christmas time this year and am beginning to worry about legal ramifications of people at the venue being under the influence of drugs. I understand that the RAVE Act could hold me responsible for the drug use of my patrons and I dont want to seriously risk fines or jail time. I plan on obtaining an event permit and having security and "pat-downs" to prevent drugs from entering but I understand that drugs will be impossible not to let in. I know people that throw parties in san francisco, san jose, sunnyvale, and other nearby cities and have faced nothing more than a shut-down(even when they did not have a permit) down but cupertino is somewhat known locally for stricter policing and has never really had a legally permitted rave before. I am really just concerned about the RAVE act and whether I should really have to worry about prosecution for a rave where drugs will probably be present. I plan on securing the community center(capacity 200-300 people), so it wont be too big.

I would also appreciate any legal advice from people in the know about what precautions I should take prior to having the rave.

Thanks in advance for your responses

 

[Michael Wechsler]

If you really want good legal advice about such a party in Cupertino, you'd be best served speaking to a good local attorney who knows all the ins and outs.

I'm not sure there is such a thing as "legal rave" unless it includes just music. Sure you can and should take reasonable precautions, a pat down certainly sounds reasonable. But I'm guessing you also need to do a reasonable amount of policing within the premises as well and can't afford just to look the other way. Having a "party" is one thing but if you're advertising something where the implication is that there will be drugs then you have to think of what you need to do to dispel the notion of the promise of illegal activity. It's like publicizing a good old fashioned love in but turning a blind eye to the pot. There are local ordinances there which will tell you what level of knowledge/awareness you need to have. That's the start. You need someone local as this is a very local issue. Good luck with the party and make sure you send an invite this way.