Commonwealth v. Chassey's Tavern, Inc.

59 Pa. D. & C.2d 262, 1973 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 498
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County
DecidedJanuary 17, 1973
Docketno. 1188
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 59 Pa. D. & C.2d 262 (Commonwealth v. Chassey's Tavern, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Commonwealth v. Chassey's Tavern, Inc., 59 Pa. D. & C.2d 262, 1973 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 498 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1973).

Opinion

MARSHALL, J.,

The district attorney of Philadelphia filed a complaint in equity under the Liquor Code of April 12, 1951, P. L. 90, art. VI, [263]*263sec. 611, 47 PS §6-611, seeking to enjoin the operation of “The Gay Nineties,” owned by Chassey’s Tavern, Inc., et al., alleging that the operation of the bar and restaurant at 301-303 S. 11th Street, Philadelphia, Pa., constituted a nuisance. The district attorney seeks to have a permanent injunction issued prohibiting “The Gay Nineties” from being used as a restaurant licensed for the sale of liquor and malt beverages.

A rule to show cause was granted on June 9, 1972, requiring defendants to show why the injunction should not issue. On the same day, a temporary writ of injunction was issued restraining defendants from conducting a nuisance until the conclusion of the proceedings.

A hearing was held by this court on the continuation of the temporary injunction against this bar as well as eight other establishments on June 16, 1972, and continued over a period of one week. At the conclusion of these hearings, the temporary injunction was ordered to remain in effect until the conclusion of all proceedings.

Hearings were held on the permanent injunction on July 19, 1972. Testimony was offered by the Commonwealth and defendants. Both the Commonwealth and defendants stipulated that the evidence presented at the earlier hearings on the temporary injunction was to be incorporated into the record of this hearing and further stipulated that certain reports made by the investigating police officers and district attorney detectives could be considered by the court as evidence on behalf of the Commonwealth subject to the rules of evidence.

At the conclusion of this hearing, defendants made a motion to lift the temporary injunction which was granted.

[264]*264 ISSUES

There are two issues before this court:

1. Does this court have jurisdiction over this injunction action brought by the district attorney under §6-611 of the Liquor Code?

2. Assuming the court has jurisdiction, does the evidence establish that defendants have operated and permitted the establishment known as “The Gay Nineties” to be operated in such a manner as to constitute a nuisance?

PRELIMINARY OBJECTIONS ON JURISDICTION

Defendants orally made preliminary objections to the complaint challenging the jurisdiction of this court. Defendants contended that §6-611 of the Liquor Code, 47 PS §6-611, did not apply to licensees of the Liquor Control Board and that this section of the code applies to persons or organizations not licensed to deal with liquor or malt beverages. Defendants base this conclusion on the origin of this section of the code during the prohibition era and argue that the subsequent history of the section compels this interpretation.

The Commonwealth contends that §6-611 of the code represents an additional enforcement method supplementing the citation and revocation of license procedures accorded to the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.

The power accorded to the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board by the legislature is to control the manufacture, sale, consumption, use and storage of liquor in the Commonwealth, but it is not the exclusive agency vested with investigative and prosecutorial authority over Liquor Code violations. The legislature has given specific authority to deal with certain phases of liquor activity to the Attorney General and to the district [265]*265attorney of the county in which the activity takes place by enacting §6-611 of the code. There is nothing in this section of the code or in the history of its enactment which limits its applicability to nonlicensees. Moreover, the code itself, 47 PS §l-104(a), requires a liberal construction of its terms, thereby preventing this court from giving §6-611 of the code the narrow application suggested by defendants.

Furthermore, the cases indicate that actions under this section have been brought against licensees innumerable times. While none of the reported cases indicates a jurisdictional challenge was made, such an issue was raised in Commonwealth v. Nelli’s 500 Club et al., May term, 1970, no. 4251, Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia. In his adjudication of that case, Honorable Gregory Lagakos held that the court did have jurisdiction. This court likewise finds that §6-611 does grant jurisdiction and power to the court to hear actions brought against licensees of the Liquor Control Board. Defendants’ preliminary objections challenging jurisdiction of this court are denied.

FINDINGS OF FACT

1. “The Gay Nineties” is a bar and restaurant located at 303 S. 11th Street, Philadelphia, Pa.

2. During the course of the investigation conducted by the district attorney’s office, Police Officers Healy and Kenney visited “The Gay Nineties” a total of 10 times. These visits were made on March 10, 14,15,17, 29, 31, 1972, April 7, 22, 1972, May 5-6, 19, 1972.

3. On four of the 10 visits, either one or both of the police officers were solicited to buy drinks by a girl at the bar. These occasions were March 29, 1972, March 31, 1972, April 7, 1972, April 22, 1972.

4. On all four occasions the girls were dressed in [266]*266street clothes and had not been seen dancing on stage, or platform, nor did they tend bar or serve drinks.

5. On three occasions, when the officers invited the girls to leave, each girl said she would stay until closing at 2 a.m.

6. District Attorney Detective Sansone visited “The Gay Nineties” on March 17,1972. He was asked to buy drinks by two different girls, both dressed in go-go costumes. He later saw one of them on the stage dancing.

7. On the same visit, District Attorney Detective Sansone observed the bartender serve liquor to an obviously intoxicated individual.

8. The allegations contained in paragraph 7 of the complaint concerning failure to prominently display the liquor license have not been proved by the Commonwealth. From photographs produced by defendants marked Exhibits D-la, lb, lc, this court finds that the license was prominently displayed.

9. Food was available at this establishment in sufficient quantity to satisfy the requirements of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Act.

10. There was sufficient light in “The Gay Nineties” to satisfy the requirements of the act.

11. While there is some evidence that solicitations to purchase alcoholic beverages were made on some occasions, when considering the evidence as a whole, it fails to show that defendants did permit such solicitation or even knew of the solicitations.

12. Defendants did not employ females for the purpose of enticing and encouraging customers to drink liquor; with only one exception, the solicitations were made by women in street clothes with no evidence of any employment of these women by the defendants.

13. Defendants did not permit persons engaged as [267]*267entertainers to have contact with patrons; nor does it appear that entertainers did have contact with patrons except for one reported instance with Detective Sansone.

CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

1. The Liquor Code §6-611 is applicable to defendants who are licensees.

2.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
59 Pa. D. & C.2d 262, 1973 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 498, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/commonwealth-v-chasseys-tavern-inc-pactcomplphilad-1973.