Barbato Liquor License Case
Barbato Liquor License Case
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
We are here concerned with two appeals from an order of the Court of Quarter Sessions of Philadelphia County, which order disposed of an appeal from the revocation by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board of restaurant liquor license R-6302 issued to Frank P. and Albert J. Barbato for premises at 1026 Wolf Street in the City of Philadelphia, and known as the Bomb Bomb Bar. The license in question was issued on November 1,1955 and renewed on November 1, 1956.
The principal witness relied upon by the Board
Coming now to the appeal of the Board at No. 366 October Term 1958, it is true that the penalty to be imposed for violations by a retail dispenser licensee is to be determined by the Board and, in the absence of different findings of fact, the court may not change the penalty on appeal: Reichwein Liquor License Case, 160 Pa. Superior Ct. 71, 49 A. 2d 869; Banterla Liquor License Case, 166 Pa. Superior Ct. 544, 72 A. 2d 602. However, if there is a conflict in the evidence, as there is in the instant case, the court may make different findings of fact than those of the Board and, in such event, it may sustain or reverse the Board and impose a less or more severe penalty: Fumea Liquor License Case, 186 Pa. Superior Ct. 609, 142 A. 2d 326. And see Mami’s Liquor License Case, 144 Pa. Superior Ct. 285. As to the first averment in the citations, the court below was “not fully and sufficiently satisfied that the evidence supported the conclusions that the appellants permitted minors to frequent the licensed premises and sold, furnished or gave liquor to such minors ... We have concluded that the evidence failed to satisfactorily show a course of conduct on the part of the appellants of permitting the premises to be frequented by minors”.
In order to sustain the Board’s appeal it would be necessary for us to find that the hearing judge acted
Order affirmed.
“Mr. Donolow: If Your Honor pleases, I have just one inquiry I would like to make, for my own knowledge: Why were these made two citations when they were issued on the same date? Is there any difference? Mr. Wismer: There is a difference in the license period. One goes prior to October 31, 1956, which would be against the license then in effect, and the new license in Philadelphia starts on November 1, and it has been the policy of the Board to issue separate citations”.
“Mr. Wismer: Dorothy Kreitzer, that is the only one I presented to the Court”.
Act of April 12, 1951, P. L. 90, Section 493 (14), 47 P.S. 4-493 (14).
Dissenting Opinion
Dissenting Opinion by
I dissent from the majority opinion which affirms the court below. I am of the opinion that the court below was not justified in reversing the Liquor Control Board which had revoked the liquor license of the licensees. The board is deprived of essential control over such an establishment. It is significant that the majority opinion states: “While the licensees contend that this witness [Dorothy Kreitzer] was unworthy of belief, the court below, as to the second averment in the citations, was ‘of the opinion that she told the truth.’ We do not propose to detail her revolting testimony.”
In my opinion the court below did act arbitrarily and the board’s action should have been approved.
Hirt, J., joins in this dissent.
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