Bush Twins Cited for Violating Texas Alcohol Laws

AUSTIN, Texas – Police cited President Bush's 19-year-old twin daughters for violating state alcoholic beverage laws Thursday.

It was the second offense for Jenna Bush and the first for her twin, Barbara.

Police accused Barbara Bush of being a minor in possession of alcohol and Jenna Bush of misrepresenting her age for allegedly trying to use false identification to buy alcohol, according to a statement from the Austin Police Department.

Both are Class C misdemeanors under the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code and carries a fine of up to $500, attendance at an alcohol awareness course, community service and 30-day driver's license suspension.

A third person, Jesse Day-Wickham, also was cited for being a minor in possession of alcohol.

The Police Department said it received a call Tuesday night reporting minors attempting to buy alcohol at Chuy's Restaurant in Austin. Police went to the night spot but did not issue a citation.

Subsequent investigation showed, police said, that Jenna Bush allegedly ordered an alcoholic beverage and was asked to produce identification proving she was 21. She allegedly showed a valid driver's license belonging to someone else, police said. She was not served.

Witnesses said Barbara Bush and Day-Wickham were served alcohol.

Less than two weeks earlier, Jenna Bush pleaded no contest to charges of underage drinking. She was ordered to take alcohol counseling and perform community service.

The earlier punishment could be revoked, prosecutor John Wall said Wednesday. He said authorities might then seek a conviction if Jenna Bush were cited.

Earlier Thursday, the White House asked the media to pause before pursuing more stories about the daughters' legal problems stemming from alleged underage drinking.

"I would urge all of you to very carefully think through how much you want to pursue this," press secretary Ari Fleischer told reporters in Washington, D.C.

"I understand that there's a question of law. I've never called anybody or suggested to anybody that the coverage today is in any way inappropriate. But to go beyond that I would urge you to be very careful because any reaction of the parents is parental; it is not governmental. It is family. It's private and the American people respect that."

Police would not say where Secret Service agents were at the time the women were in the popular Mexican restaurant. The Secret Service wouldn't comment.

Jenna Bush's earlier no contest plea stemmed from a ticket police issued while checking for minors in possession of alcohol at nightclubs April 27.

Jenna Bush is a student at the University of Texas at Austin; Barbara Bush attends Yale University.