Marvin Hill Jr., an Alabama man, was recently sentenced to 18 years imprisonment, because he bought 2 cases of beer and 6 liters of liquor in a “wet” county, and took it to his home, which is located in a “dry” county. You may find it very hard to believe, but there are parts in the USA where Prohibition still rules: not a drop of alcoholic beverages may be found in these territories. Such a territory is called a “dry” county. Police observe liquor stores in “wet” counties, and check on the license plates of the buyers’ cars.
When they spot a buyer, driving a car from a “wet” county, police follow the car into the “dry” county and catch the offender. As you certainly have heard in the media: police have plenty of idle time in the USA, since there is no longer a crime committed more serious than buying a case of beer for your own consumption.

It must be said that it was not the first time that Mr.Marvin Hill Jr. brought beer to his home, a fact that explains his very long coming stay in jail. Remember: this is not Saudi Arabia, but the USA on the brink of the 21st century.
Newsletter August 1998