Iowa City bar owner faces charges of giving alcohol to minors

The owner of Pints Bar in Iowa City was arrested early Sunday morning on charges that he served alcohol to three minors, court records show.

Douglas Meek, 52, is charged with three counts of supplying alcohol to persons under legal age, and one count each of selling or dispensing alcohol after hours, public intoxication, providing alcohol to an intoxicated person, possession of a controlled substance and possession of contraband in a correctional institution.

Meek was seen by an Iowa City police officer just before 3 a.m. Sunday drinking with employees inside Pints, according to a criminal complaint. The officer was passing by and saw several people through the glass front. The group, which included three bar employees who are under 21, were taking shots of a dark liquid, later confirmed to be Jameson Whiskey, police said.

Meek was heavily intoxicated when police arrested him, records show. He refused a preliminary breath test but had bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and a strong odor of alcohol, the complaint states.

When he was booked into the Johnson County Jail, a bag of white powdery substance was found in his pocket, which police believe was less than 1 gram of cocaine, according to the complaint.

Meek was released from the jail Monday after posting $7,800 bail.

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