Analysis by Community Law Center, making the case that the Lil's Place license, granted a licenses on 8/21, was actually dead

Issues raised in the audit present in this case or other issues observed:

The Liquor Board file for this address contained two years of inspectors reports showing that the bar has been closed. There are nine reports, from the following dates: November 20, 2012; December 10, 2012; January 2, 2013; February 20, 2013; March 26, 2013; July 12, 2013; August 8, 2013; September 9, 2013; and October 4, 2013. Every one of these reports show that the establishment has been closed. The fire at this address did not occur until March 8, 2014.

According to the inspections and Article 2B section 10-504, the license expired, at the latest, 180 days after November 20, 2012, which is June 3, 2013. At the time of the fire, then, Mrs. Driver’s license had already been expired for nine months.

To see the inspectors’ reports, click here.

To see Ms. Driver’s hardship extension requests, click here.

This hearing and the documents in the file bring to mind two questions: (1) What is the procedure that Liquor Board staff should follow when they receive one inspectors’ report showing that a business is closed (let alone nine)? (2) Why did the Commissioners not ask the licensee when she had closed her business during the hearing?

[To see Witt’s full post, with links to inspection reports and other documents, go here.]