Boron v. PULASKI TP. BD. OF SUP'RS

960 A.2d 880, 2008 WL 4922959
CourtCommonwealth Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedNovember 19, 2008
DocketNo 1555 C.D. 2007
StatusPublished

This text of 960 A.2d 880 (Boron v. PULASKI TP. BD. OF SUP'RS) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Boron v. PULASKI TP. BD. OF SUP'RS, 960 A.2d 880, 2008 WL 4922959 (Pa. Ct. App. 2008).

Opinion

960 A.2d 880 (2008)

Eric BORON and Adultland XXX, Appellants
v.
The PULASKI TOWNSHIP BOARD OF SUPERVISORS and Chief of Police of Northwest Lawrence County Regional Police Department.

No 1555 C.D. 2007.

Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania.

Argued October 15, 2008.
Decided November 19, 2008.

*881 Joseph T. Moran, Pittsburgh, for appellants.

John N. Scales, Greensburg, for appellee, Northwest Lawrence County Regional Police Department.

BEFORE: LEADBETTER, President Judge, McGINLEY, Judge, SMITH-RIBNER, Judge, PELLEGRINI, Judge, SIMPSON, Judge, LEAVITT, Judge, BUTLER, Judge.

OPINION BY Judge LEAVITT.

Eric Boron, the owner of Adultland XXX, a sexually oriented business, appeals an order of the Court of Common Pleas of Lawrence County (trial court) suspending Adultland's business license for one year. The trial court affirmed the decision of the Pulaski Township Board of Supervisors (Township Supervisors) that Adultland violated a township ordinance that forbids sexually oriented businesses from conducting *882 business on a state recognized holiday. In this case, we consider whether this ordinance is unconstitutionally vague because it does not identify what constitutes a "state recognized holiday."

The relevant and undisputed facts are as follows. Adultland, which is located in Pulaski Township, sells both sexually themed materials as well as materials without any sexual content. The Township has adopted legislation to regulate businesses such as Adultland, which, inter alia, prescribes the days and hours a sexually oriented business may operate. It states as follows:

Section 18. Hours of Operation:
No sexually oriented business shall be open for business before eight o'clock (8:00) a.m., Monday-Saturday or after ten o'clock (10:00) p.m., Monday-Saturday. A sexually oriented business shall be closed at all times on Sundays and legal federal or state recognized holidays.

PULASKI TOWNSHIP, PA. ORDINANCE, Ordinance No.2000-5-22 (2000), Section 18 (ORDINANCE).

On June 14, 2006, also known as Flag Day, Adultland was open for business. Two days later, Police Chief James B. Morris, Jr., suspended Adultland's business license for being open on Flag Day, a "state recognized holiday," in violation of Section 18. Because it was Adultland's second violation of Section 18, its license was revoked for twelve months.[1] Adultland appealed the revocation.[2]

The Township Supervisors conducted a hearing on May 29, 2007. At the hearing, the parties stipulated to the pertinent facts and submitted written summaries of the evidence in lieu of testimony. The evidence established, inter alia, that Boron had requested his attorney to provide him with a list of "legal federal or state recognized holidays," which was posted at Adultland so that patrons and employees knew when it had to be closed. Flag Day was not on the list, and Boron did not know it was a "state recognized holiday."

The Township asserted that Adultland violated Section 18 because Flag Day is a "state recognized holiday." In support, it pointed to the Act of May 31, 1893, P.L. 188 (The 1893 Act), as amended, 44 P.S. *883 § 11, which provides, in relevant part, as follows:

The following days and half days, namely: the first day of January, commonly called New Year's Day, the third Monday of January, known as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the third Monday of February, known as Presidents' Day, Good Friday, the last Monday in May, known as Memorial Day, the fourteenth day of June, known as Flag Day, the fourth of July, called Independence Day, the first Monday of September, known as Labor Day, the second Monday in October, known as Columbus Day, the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November, Election Day, the eleventh day of November, known as Veterans' Day, the fourth Thursday in November, known as Thanksgiving Day, the twenty-fifth day of December, known as Christmas Day; and every Saturday, after twelve o'clock noon until twelve o'clock midnight, each of which Saturdays is hereby designated a half holiday; and any day appointed or recommended by the Governor of this State or the President of the United States as a day of thanksgiving or fasting and prayer, or other religious observance; ... shall be considered as public holidays and half holidays for all purposes whatsoever as regards the transaction of business . . .

44 P.S. § 11 (emphasis added).[3] In response, Adultland asserted that Section 18 of the Ordinance was unconstitutionally vague. It pointed out that The 1893 Act does not regulate sexually oriented businesses but, rather, establishes bank holidays.[4] Further, Section 18 does not mention The 1893 Act.

At the conclusion of the hearing, the Township Supervisors affirmed the Police Chief's one-year revocation of Adultland's business license. Adultland appealed to the trial court.

With its appeal, Adultland filed a motion with the trial court to present additional evidence, namely the settlement agreement between Adultland and the Township arising out of Adultland's 2005 Columbus Day violation. The trial court denied the motion. On the merits of the appeal, the trial court found in favor of the Township, reasoning that Section 18 of the Ordinance was not vague in violation of due process because The 1893 Act established what days are "state recognized holidays." The present appeal followed.[5]

On appeal, Adultland raises two issues for this Court's review. First, Adultland argues that Section 18 of the Ordinance is unconstitutionally vague because it neither defines "state recognized holidays" nor directs the licensee on how to make this determination. Second, Adultland contends that the trial court erred by not *884 permitting Adultland to supplement the record with evidence of the settlement agreement with the Township, which, it contends, would establish that it did not have a first violation.

The Township responds that we need not address Adultland's constitutional claim. First, it contends that Adultland is barred by the doctrine of res judicata or collateral estoppel from raising its constitutional challenge to the Ordinance. Second, the Township contends that Adultland had to bring its constitutional claim in a declaratory judgment action and not in an appeal of its license suspension.

We begin with the Township's argument that Adultland has already litigated the constitutionality of the Ordinance and is barred from doing so again. The term res judicata encompasses two related, but distinct, principles: technical res judicata, which is sometimes called claim preclusion,[6] and collateral estoppel,[7] which is also referred to as issue preclusion. The essence of both res judicata and collateral estoppel is "whether the ultimate and controlling issues have been decided in a prior proceeding in which the parties actually had an opportunity to appeal and assert their rights." Fiore v. Department of Environmental Resources, 96 Pa.Cmwlth. 477, 508 A.2d 371, 375 (1986) (emphasis added).

The Township and Adultland previously litigated the constitutionality of the Ordinance, shortly after its enactment in 2000.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Grayned v. City of Rockford
408 U.S. 104 (Supreme Court, 1972)
Bassett v. Bassett
671 A.2d 661 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1995)
Commonwealth v. Ebaugh
783 A.2d 846 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 2001)
Temple University v. Workers' Compensation Appeal Board
753 A.2d 289 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 2000)
Fumo v. Commonwealth, Insurance Department
427 A.2d 1259 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1981)
Fiore v. Commonwealth, Department of Environmental Resources
508 A.2d 371 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1986)
SSEN, Inc. v. Borough Council of Eddystone
810 A.2d 200 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 2002)
Piatek v. Pulaski Township
828 A.2d 1164 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 2003)
Pennsylvania Bar Ass'n v. Commonwealth
607 A.2d 850 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1992)
Alliance Home of Carlisle, PA v. Board of Assessment Appeals
919 A.2d 206 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 2007)
Bliss Excavating Co. v. Luzerne County
211 A.2d 532 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1965)
Watkins v. State Board of Dentistry
740 A.2d 760 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1999)
Blanco v. State Board of Private Licensed Schools
631 A.2d 1076 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1993)
PMA Insurance Group v. Workmen's Compensation Appeal Board
665 A.2d 538 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1995)
Grube v. Workmen's Compensation Appeal Board
667 A.2d 1224 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1995)
Boron v. Pulaski Township Board of Supervisors
960 A.2d 880 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 2008)
Grayned v. City of Rockford
408 U.S. 104 (Supreme Court, 1972)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
960 A.2d 880, 2008 WL 4922959, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/boron-v-pulaski-tp-bd-of-suprs-pacommwct-2008.