FINES FOR RAVE TO BE REDUCED TO $100

RACINE -- People cited for participating in an alleged rave earlier this
month will have their $968 tickets cut to $100 if they plead guilty or no
contest in municipal court, city officials said Friday.

The adjusted fines were meant as both a deal to the 445 people fined on Nov.
2 for participating in the dance party, and an admission by the city that it
couldn't prosecute all of the cases, said Racine City Attorney Daniel
Wright.

"We simply don't have the capacity to try 445 cases," Wright said. "All in
all, we believe this is a reasonable agreement."

Lower fines will be given to people who appear in court. Party-goers who do
not attend their hearings, which are scheduled to begin on Dec. 2, will have
their fines reduced to between $250 and $300, Wright said.

People can also choose to contest their tickets. If convicted, they could be
subject to the full fine plus court costs. Anyone who has already paid their
$968 fine is eligible for a refund, Wright said.

Sgt. William Macemon of the Racine Police Department said the department
agreed with the reduced fines. "We all discussed the plea bargaining," he
said. "This is a collaboration between the (police) department and the city
attorney's office."

Also Friday, the legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union said
the organization has received about 200 complaints from people who were
ticketed during a police raid of the party.

However, Legal Director Micabil Diaz would not comment on whether the ACLU
would assist the party-goers with their case. "When any decision is made we
first notify the parties involved, then we send out a press release," he
said.

Neither has happened yet.

Racine police broke up the alleged rave based on a tip from a U.S. Customs
Service agent. Undercover officers went to the party and bought Ecstasy and
ketamine from one of the party-goers, and saw others using drugs. Police
shut down the gathering, wouldn't allow anyone in or out, and ticketed
everyone. Three people were also arrested on drug charges.

Most of those attending were between 17 and 25 years old. Many had traveled
from Milwaukee and Chicago for the party, which had been advertised on the
Internet and on widely distributed flyers.

Organizers of the party, speaking through their Web site at
www.hauntedhouseparty.com, are attempting to mount a legal defense for those
cited in the bust. They assert the event was a fund-raiser for a non-profit
organization trying to refurbish the theater, not a drug party.

Appearances in Racine Municipal Court for those who were cited will be on
Dec. 2, 9 and 16.

Party organizers, who say police violated their civil rights, are
encouraging those who were ticketed to file a complaint with the ACLU. The
form is available on their Web site.

Organizers are also seeking information from anyone who attended the party,
including photos, videos or stories of the night.