Fifteen individuals were charged with furnishing liquor to a minor in connection with the death of Sam Martinez in 2019.
Furnishing liquor to a minor is a gross misdemeanor in Washington state. If convicted, the defendants could face a maximum of one year in jail and a $5,000 fine, according to a press release from the Whitman County Prosecuting Attorney.
“That is insulting compared to the devastating consequences of [the defendants’] actions, which directly led to Sam’s death, and the loss we are living with for the rest of our lives,” Martinez’s family wrote in a statement.
Whitman County Prosecutor Denis Tracy said he expects the trials to occur within the next two months to a year.