Several Palo Alto High School students were caught with alcohol and drug paraphernalia on Jan. 5 in the In Focus studio on campus, according to the Palo Alto Police Department and campus sources.

According to a police report filed on Jan. 5, the police arrested and cited one of the students, an 18-year-old Palo Alto High School senior, at 2:59 p.m. on that same day.

The arrest was made for violation of the Business and Professions code, according to report details relayed to Voice reporters by Sgt. Patty Lum. A violation of this code could deal with an alcohol-related offense, Lum said.

Few details have been released by either the Palo Alto Police Department or Palo Alto High School administration about the specifics of the situation because the other students involved are still minors.

Police would not release the names of the minors, and The Paly Voice has decided to pursue a general policy of not naming students involved in non-felony crimes, even if they are over the age of 18.

The 18-year-old and one of the minors involved, both public proponents for the controversial senior class "Herbology" theme earlier this year, were producers for the In Focus broadcast journalism program. The third student, a minor, was not an In Focus staff member.

According to In Focus adviser Mike McNulty, the students will no longer be producers, although they will be permitted to remain in the class.

"We still have three to four producers and we may add one more," McNulty said.

McNulty talked to the rest of the In Focus staff about the incident during class on Friday, Jan. 6.

"I told them [the class] about what happened and that we will continue with In Focus as usual," McNulty said. "We tried not to make a huge deal of it."

McNulty also told the In Focus staff that police had found a couple of bongs and alcohol, staff members said. A campus security officer said he saw a police officer leaving the In Focus studio with beer cans.

According to Palo Alto High School principal Scott Laurence, students found possessing illegal substances are subject to standard disciplinary actions, although Laurence would not comment on the specific case at hand.

"Our standard practices are a suspension and a referral to Adolescent Counseling Services," Laurence said.

It is possible that colleges or universities the students applied to this fall may be notified of the incident as well, according to Laurence.

"If the colleges ask, we supply them with information," Laurence said. "We don’t offer up that information, but if they ask us, we will answer honestly."

Editors-in-chief Kristie Flatley and Elena Marinelli contributed to this story.