Fox v. Liquor Control Commission

29 N.W.2d 891, 319 Mich. 347, 1947 Mich. LEXIS 341
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 3, 1947
DocketDocket No. 8, Calendar No. 43,607.
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 29 N.W.2d 891 (Fox v. Liquor Control Commission) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Fox v. Liquor Control Commission, 29 N.W.2d 891, 319 Mich. 347, 1947 Mich. LEXIS 341 (Mich. 1947).

Opinion

North, J.

Prior to March, 1946, George T. Pox had a class 0 license under which he obtained the right to operate a bar in the city of Detroit. On or shortly after March 6, 1946, he received a letter or notification from the Michigan liquor control commission which contained the following: “We are in receipt of a violation report which alleges that a license was obtained by you and in your name for the use and benefit of Steve Kafkas, whose name did not appear on the license. This is in violation of your contract with this commission.” -In the same letter he was notified to appear at a specified time and place for a hearing on the above alleged violation. The hearing was had before Felix Flynn, a member of the commission. Witnesses were sworn from whose testimony it appears that at the time Fox obtained the license under which the bar was operated he did not obtain it solely for himself but instead through misrepresentation he obtained it for the benefit of himself and Steve Kafkas, as coparthers. At the conclusion of the hearing Commissioner Flynn found:

“There was a fraud in connection with the securing of this license by Mr. George T. Fox, who represented himself as being sole owner and the testimony now disclosed Mr. Steve Kafkas was one-half owner in the business.”

In consequence of the foregoing the commissioner ordered cancellation of the license held by Fox. ’ He thereupon asked for and had a hearing before the full commission. Fox was represented by an attorney at this hearing .as well as at the hearing before Commissioner Flynn. No further testimony was *351 taken at the hearing before the full commission; and the commission on the record previously made upheld the revocation ordered at the earlier hearing. Fox then filed a petition for certiorari in the circuit court of Wayne county to review the action taken by the commission, alleging in his petition several grounds of review hereinafter noted. In return to the writ the commission filed in the circuit court a reply to the petition for certiorari. After hear-ing the circuit court affirmed the order of the commission revoking the license formerly issued to Fox and dismissed the certiorari proceedings. Plaintiff Fox has appealed.

At the outset it should he noted that by statute the right of review of a holding- of the liquor control commission in a proceeding of this kind is limited to certiorari. Act No. 8, §20, Pub. Acts 1933 (Ex. Sess.), as amended by Act No. 133, Pub. Acts 1945 (Comp. Laws Supp. 1945, §9209-35, Stat. Ann. 1946 Cum. Supp. § 18.991). The same section of the statute provides;

‘‘The commission shall have the right and power to suspend or revoke and any commissioner designated by the chairman shall, upon due notice and proper hearing, have the right and power to suspend or revoke any license upon a violation of any of the provisions of this act or any of the rules and regulations adopted by the commission hereunder.”

Appellant sought on certiorari to present to the circuit court and stresses on this appeal the following claims:

1. That the action of the commission in summarily revoking appellant’s license was unlawful, arbitrary and unjust because no complaint was filed against appellant and he was not advised of any specific charge against him which would constitute a violation of any law or any regulation of the com *352 mission; and therefore he was unable to prepare a proper defense. Appellant’s license was not summarily. revoked. Instead he was afforded a full hearing. In presenting this phase of his appeal it is appellant’s contention that on the- hearing before the commission the proceedings should have been technically in accordance with the provisions of Act No. 8, § 5a, Pub. Acts 1933 (Ex. Sess.), as added by Act No. 133, Pub. Acts 1945 (Comp. Laws Supp. 1945, § 9209-20a, Stat. Ann. 1946 Cum. Supp. § 18.975 [1]). But it is sufficient to note that the procedural provisions in the cited statute pertain only to proceedings before the board of hearing examiners provided for in Act No. 133. At the time of appellant’s hearings the governor had not yet appointed a board of hearing examiners; and in the interim the liquor control commission continued to possess the power to hear and determine matters of this character. See Case v. Liquor Control Commission, 314 Mich. 632; Shinavier v. Liquor Control Commission, 315 Mich. 188. Appellant was .not prejudiced by the commission’s failure to comply literally with the statutory procedure which is made applicable only to the board of hearing examiners.

2. There is no merit to appellant’s claim that he was denied a fair hearing because he was not served with a copy of a complaint. We have already noted that prior to the hearing before Commissioner Flynn appellant was advised by written notice to appear in response to an alleged violation that he had obtained his license solely in his name when as a matter of fact it was obtained for appellant and Steve Kafkas, as copartners. And further prior to appellant’s hearing before the full commission the latter caused a subpoena to be served on Fox which plainly informed him to appear at a specified hearing “relative to obtaining a license for the use and *353 benefit of a person whose name does not appear on the license, as provided for by Act No. 8, Pub. Acts 1933 (Ex. Sess.), as last amended by Act No. 133, Pnb. Acts 1945, and that you bring with you and then and there produce all books, papers, and records in your possession or under your control relating to the matter above referred to.” We think it quite conclusively appears from this record,! as it was also made to appear to the circuit court on the application and return in the certiorari proceedings, "that plaintiff, represented by counsel, had every opportunity for a'full and fair hearing both' before Commissioner Flynn and in the subsequent hearing before the full commission. Appellant’s cpntention to the contrary is without merit.’

3. Nor is there any merit to appellant’s contention that the action of the commission was based upon evidence unlawfully and illegally obtained in violation of appellant’s constitutional rights. In this particular appellant alleged in his petition for. certiorari that: ‘ ‘ The commission purported to act upon certain evidence-which was unlawfully and illegally obtained by an unreasonable search of-plaintiff’s premises at 5606 East McNichols Road by representatives of the respondent without a search warrant.” This contention is not sustained by the record. As a condition of securing his license appellant was required to tender a bond upon which the following appears:

“SEARCH AND SEIZURE”

“Agents of the liquor control commission and all law enforcing officers shall have the right to enter, examine, inspect and search, without a search warrant, any time during the twenty-four hours of any day, any and all parts of the licensed premises^ and to 'Seize any evidence of a violation of any law of this State and that such evidence may be used'in *354 any trial or proceeding before any court of law or before the liquor control commission. ’ ’

4.

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Bluebook (online)
29 N.W.2d 891, 319 Mich. 347, 1947 Mich. LEXIS 341, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fox-v-liquor-control-commission-mich-1947.