Emeril Arrested For Contributing To Delinquency of Minor

World famous TV chef Emeril Lagasse was arrested immediately following the taping of his TV Show, Emeril Live! Friday afternoon. Police took him into custody on multiple counts of the charge of Contributing To the Delinquency of a Minor. Authorities say that several children were in attendance at the taping when Mr. Lagasse added a liberal amount of cognac in the making of his Bacon-Braised Quail with Crostini. The popular chef then added a small amount more of cognac while smiling wryly. When the crowd responded with hoots and applause, Lagasse is captured on tape as saying "Oh yeah. That's what I'm talking about." thereby exhorting the crowd, including the children, to a "criminal degree of alcohol approval" according to Lieutenant Shirley Taper.

Lagasse exhibited wanton disregard for the children's welfare when he implicitly suggested that alcohol was appropriate for consumption by minors. By words and action, Mr. Lagasse is flauting everything we are trying to teach these kids about responsible behavior." states Lieutenant Taper. The legal drinking age in New York, where Emeril Live! is taped, is 21 years old. Mr. Lagasse's counsel, Jack Whiteman made this comment, "Mr. Lagasse, in no way, condones the consumption of alcohol by minors. It is merely a coincidence that the studio's monitors suggested to the audience that they should "stand up and dance and whoop it up like fratboys" at the same time that the alcohol was added to the quail. We will clear his name and a lawsuit for defamation of character is not out of the question."

Additional charges were dropped after some confusion during the arrest. Several officers in the studio mistakenly took cover and drew their weapons upon hearing Mr. Lagasse utter his familiar catchphrase "Bam!" during the creation of his Lemon Meringue Torte dessert.