The New Hampshire Civil Liberties Union, which is organizing an effort to overturn the Hanover Police Department's "internal possession" policy, hired a lawyer near the end of Fall term to represent minors with grievances concerning the policy.
Hanover Police have used "internal possession" for the past seven years to press charges against underage drinkers by considering results from breathalyzer tests as evidence of prior possession of alcohol.
Although possession of alcohol by a minor is illegal in New Hampshire, it is not illegal for a minor to be found with alcohol in his or her bloodstream.
Claire Ebel, executive director of the NHCLU, said meetings about the policy between Hanover Town Manager Cliff Vermilya and Hanover Police Chief Nick Giaccone and the lawyer, Steve Borofsky, are going well.
Ebel said Borofsky told her he has been very pleased with his meetings over the last four weeks.
"I am optimistic that we are going to make a resolution of this problem without going through the time and expense of going to court," Ebel said.
Ebel said one acceptable compromise would be an annual public forum to inform minors of their rights.
"Internal possession does not exist in the law and the ACLU has not changed its position on that," Ebel said. "As executive director I can tell you that it is my fervent hope that it will not be applied again."
