Courtesy Thomas Kippen

A 19-year-old Maxwell man, convicted of procuring alcohol for minors and contributing to their delinquency at a graduation party May 16, was sentenced to 10 days in the Lincoln County Jail.

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Keifer R. Burke, 213 East Highway 30, pleaded guilty to both charges in Lincoln County Court June 29.

Brad Burke, 48, Keifer’s father, attempted to plead guilty to the same charges but Lincoln County Judge Kent Florom said he couldn’t accept the guilty plea after hearing Brad Burke’s explanation of what happened that night.

Burke told Florom that his son Keifer asked if he could bring some friends over on graduation day.

Burke said by the time he arrived home there were “quite a few kids” at his house drinking.

“I didn’t know what to do for sure,” Burke said. “Send them home? Call their parents? Some of the kids were not in good enough shape to drive.”

Burke told Florom that a “man of age” walked through his house with a beer in his hand but did not identify him.

“I told him he had to leave,” Burke said.

“He told me he had no car, that the kids brought him to the party,” Burke said.

Burke said the adult man then volunteered to walk back to North Platte from Maxwell.

“He could hardly walk across the room,” Burke said. He said he loaded the adult up in his vehicle and drove him home.

“The kids had dispersed when I got back home,” Burke said.

Judge Florom said the facts Burke presented would not qualify for procuring and that he couldn’t accept Burke’s guilty plea based on those statements.

Chief Deputy Lincoln County Attorney Todd Engleman said he had numerous statements from kids that Burke was at the house for an extended period of time and did nothing to stop the drinking.

Florom set the matter from trial for August 7.

The crime

It was pictures of the party posted on a Facebook page that landed the Burkes in trouble. Also cited was KNOP-TV weatherman Thomas Kippen and Lane and Connie Dancer.

Kippen was charged in court with five counts of procuring alcohol for minors and contributing to the delinquency of a minor after he brought beer to the May 16th party, according to the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office. He could face a maximum of six years imprisonment, fines of $6,000 or both if convicted of all six crimes.

Kippen pleaded not guilty and is facing a trial July 31.

Lane and Connie Dancer, 307 E. Plumer Ave. in Maxwell, were cited for contributing to the delinquency of a minor for their role in the party, a sheriff's spokesman said. Each pleaded not guilty and face trials Aug. 7. Both could face a maximum of one-year imprisonment, a $1,000 fine or both if convicted.

Lincoln County judges normally require a mandatory minimum 10-day stay in the Lincoln County Jail for the procuring alcohol for minors charge.

The party was held May 16 at Burke’s house at 213 E. Hwy. 30, according to a Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office spokesman.

The LCSO learned of the party from Maxwell school officials after they viewed pictures of the minors and adults drinking at the party on a Facebook page, according to an LCSO spokesman. Approximately 10 to 12 underage kids attended the party and LCSO officials said the alcohol was provided by Kippen, Lane and Connie Dancer and the Burkes.

None of the kids were cited for being minors in possession of alcohol but an LCSO spokesman said the school was considering holding a number of them out of extracurricular activities during the 2009-2010 school year.

Superintendent Chuck Hervert said that if the school had evidence that a student had violated the school’s alcohol policy or admitted it, they would be held out of extracurricular activities for 20 days. He said that would amount to two football games next season.

An official said deputies obtained the pictures that had been posted and they provided evidence of alcohol and underage drinking.