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January 1, 2012

Beer-runner arrest draws questions on alcohol laws

By Jean Cole jean@athensnews-courier.com

— A story about a Decatur woman’s arrest for transporting 112 gallons of beer from Tennessee to Alabama baffled a number of News Courier readers who did not understand why the beer run constituted a crime.

Sheriff Mike Blakely said the incident violated state law in three ways:

• Transporting untaxed alcohol into Alabama; the state collects 2 percent of the purchase price;

• Transporting more than 5 gallons of alcohol in her vehicle, which is a felony punishable by one to six years in prison;

• Transporting alcohol in the cab of the vehicle rather than in the trunk.

Gloria Crisantes Salazar, 39, of 310 Cardinal Drive S.W., Apt. 12, was arrested Tuesday on a charge of transporting prohibited liquor after Limestone County Sheriff’s Department received a tip about her. Because she was living in the country illegally, immigration officials for possible deportation will pick her up.

Deputy Cody Lewter arrested Salazar as she was driving south on Interstate 65 with 15 cases containing 40-ounce bottles of Bud Light in her vehicle.

Although the deputy could have charged Salazar with a felony for transporting such a large quantity of beer, he charged her only with misdemeanor transporting of prohibited liquor, the sheriff noted. He said many citizens are unaware of state laws pertaining to the transportation of alcoholic beverages.

“If you buy alcohol in a wet jurisdiction and transport it into a dry county — which includes all unincorporated areas of Limestone County — then it must be in the trunk and it can only be one case of beer or two fifths of liquor,” Blakely said.

Those who purchase a little beer, wine or liquor need not be paranoid.

“It isn’t something we are out there looking for,” Blakely said. “We don’t do beer patrols in Limestone County — we have plenty of theft and drug cases that take precedence — but a person could be arrested for it.”

The best bet is to follow the rules — buy in Alabama, buy no more than 5 gallons and store it in the trunk.

For more information on state laws relating to alcoholic beverages, including laws in dry counties, go online to the Alabama Code at http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/acas/codeofalabama/1975/coatoc.htm and click on Chapter 28 on the left side of the screen.

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