Nov. 28: Authorities weighing charges in Amanda Jax's death

If charges are filed in the alcohol-poisoning death of Amanda Jax, they could target people who were with her or a business that served her during the night she was celebrating her 21st birthday, the Blue Earth County attorney said today.

By Paul Walsh, Star Tribune

Last update: December 28, 2007 - 8:07 AM

However, County Attorney Ross Arneson said, a decision on charging someone, if anyone, in Jax's death is at least two weeks away.

Arneson said that those subject to being charged "could be people who accompanied" Jax in the hours before she died late last month or "people commercially serving her."

In the meantime, Arneson said his office has been meeting with representatives of Jax's family to hear their views about issuing charges. However, Arneson emphasized, "It's not up to them."

Jax's blood alcohol level was nearly 0.46 percent -- more than five times the legal driving limit -- when she died after a night of drinking to celebrate her 21st birthday.

Jax, of Mayer, Minn., drank "copious amounts of alcohol in a short frame of time" on the night of Oct. 29, police said.

The Mankato Free Press reported Thursday that Jax spent the last night of her life drinking heavily at the Sidelines Bar & Grill in downtown Mankato. Serving alcohol to someone who is clearly intoxicated is a gross misdemeanor.

Jax was in Mankato to celebrate turning 21. A pre-nursing student at Minnesota State University, Mankato (MSU), between 2005 and this summer, she had been accepted into the nursing program in the spring.

After the celebration, Jax was taken to a friend's off-campus apartment. When friends found her to be unresponsive, they called 911 shortly after 7 the next morning, police said.

Meanwhile, the Mankato City Council Monday unanimously revised an ordinance regulating how alcohol is sold and consumed. City Manager Pat Hentges said the intent was to "eliminate multiple-drink specials and have a cutoff to gradually slow activity."

Bar owners and council members have disagreed on the cutoff time and on what type of drink specials would be banned. On Monday, council members didn't budge much to satisfy requests from bar owners, which included a desire to have the time pushed back to midnight.

There are a few exceptions, however, such as allowing bars to use short-term, promotional pricing that alcohol companies sometimes require bars to use on new drinks to help them catch on.

MSUJ president Richard Davenport testified at the public hearing, saying that Mankato "has a reputation for binge drinking." Administrators plan to explore fining students for off-campus alcohol violations, Davenport said.

Jax's death is among three this fall connected to the university.

On Nov. 18, Minnesota State senior Rissa J. Amen-Reif died and fellow student Corinne L. Overstake, 21, was badly hurt after they were struck by a car driven by a 17-year-old Mankato boy.

In early October, Minnesota freshman Catherine Delwiche was struck by a vehicle and died in early October while training for a cross-country meet. Her teammate, Laura Palmer, was slightly hurt.

Arneson said today that his office has declined to pursue charges in the Delwiche case and it has been referred to the city attorney's office. He said his office has yet to decide on charges in the killing of Amen-Reif and the injuring of Overstake.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482

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