In re Luvera

24 Pa. D. & C.3d 149, 1981 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 90
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Lehigh County
DecidedNovember 18, 1981
Docketno. 67-M of 1981
StatusPublished

This text of 24 Pa. D. & C.3d 149 (In re Luvera) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Lehigh County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Luvera, 24 Pa. D. & C.3d 149, 1981 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 90 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1981).

Opinion

GARDNER, J.,

This is an appeal from the order of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (board) imposing a fine of $300 upon Vincent Luvera, doing business as Naples Pizza (licensee). For the reasons stated in this opinion, we dismiss the appeal and affirm the order of the board below.

On August 20, 1980, the board cited licensee for violating Liquor Control Board Regulation 5.32(a), 40 Pa. Code 532(a). This regulation prohibits the playing of music on a loudspeaker inside the premises so loudly that the music can be heard outside.

The board held a hearing on January 21, 1981. On March 27, 1981, the board issued an opinion and order, finding that licensee violated the Liquor Code as alleged on July 30 and August 1, 1980. Accordingly, the board imposed a $300 fine.

On July 27, 1981, a hearing de novo, as required by the Liquor Code, Act of April 12, 1951, P.L. 90, art. IV, 471, as amended, 47 P.S. §4-471, was held by this court.

The scope of the court’s authority in appeals from the board is clearly delineated in Pennsylania Li[151]*151quor Control Board v. Latrobe Armed Service Association, 16 Pa. Commonwealth Ct. 199, 202-203, 329 A. 2d 549, 551 (1974):

. . the lower court on appeal is required to hold hearings de novo, make its own findings of fact and conclusions of law and then in the exercise of its own discretion either sustain, reverse, or modify the action taken by the Board. The court is in no way limited either by statute or by case authority to a review of the Board’s discretion, but rather makes a completely independent determination of all facets of the case in rendering its own decision. ... It is now firmly established that the lower court must make findings of fact on the material issues different from those made by the Board before the action taken by the Board can be reversed or changed.’ ” (Citations omitted.) (Emphasis in original.)

It is the court’s duty to evaluate the credibility of the witnesses, weigh the testimony and, as this proceeding is civil in nature, determine whether or not the violations charged have been established by a preponderance of the evidence: In re Moravian Bar, Inc., 200 Pa. Superior Ct. 231, 188 A. 2d 805 (1963); Smart, Inc. v. Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, 35 Lehigh 346 (1973), aff'd, 16 Pa. Commonwealth Ct. 37, 328 A. 2d 923 (1974).

Where such charges have been so established by competent evidence, the court, even where it considers the penalty too severe, is powerless to reduce the penalty imposed by the board: In re Patty’s Den, Inc., 32 Pa. Commonwealth Ct. 382, 379 A. 2d 659 (1977); Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board v. Washington Sporting Club, 13 Pa. Commonwealth Ct. 257, 320 A.2d 851 (1974).

An enforcement officer testified for the board at the hearing before this court. We find the testimony [152]*152of the officer credible. Based upon his testimony, we make the following findings of fact:

Licensee holds a restaurant liquor license and amusement permit. The licensed establishment is a pizza restaurant in Lehigh Shopping Center, Bethlehem, Lehigh County, Pa.

On Wednesday, July 30, 1980, the enforcement officer entered Naples Pizza at approximately 1:05 p.m. Approximately 20 to 25 patrons were present. Inside, the officer observed a record turntable attached to five loudspeakers.

Two of the speakers, each measuring approximately 12 inches by 12 inches, were located on the interior south wall. A third speaker, the same size, was located on the west wall. The fourth and fifth speakers, each measuring approximately two feet by four feet, were located on the east and west walls, respectively.

A female “go-go” dancer began dancing to the music at approximately 1:20 p.m. She went to the turntable and turned a knob, making the music louder.

Fifteen minutes later, at approximately 1:35 p.m., the officer departed the restaurant. He paced 15 feet to the east of the establishment, where he could hear the music clearly and distinctly. He also paced 15 feet to the south of the building, where he again heard the music clearly and distinctly. However, he could not hear the music 30 feet east, or 30 feet south, of the restaurant.

At approximately 1:45 p.m., the enforcement officer entered a commercial building, Transamerica Finance Consumer Company, which is connected to the south side of the restaurant by a party wall. He could hear the music loudly, clearly and distinctly inside the front, rear, and throughout the Transamerica building.

[153]*153The officer departed the Transamerica building, and the area, at approximately 2:00 p.m.

On Friday, August 1,1980, the enforcement officer returned to licensee’s premises at approximately 12:30 p.m. At approximately 12:50 p.m. a female go-go dancer named “Charlie” put a record on the turntable, which was still hooked up to the same five loudspeakers.

At 1:06 p.m. the dancer asked the bartender to “turn up the music. I can’t dance to it. It’s too low.” The bartender complied and turned up the music.

At 1:10 p.m. the officer left the pizza restaurant. Again he heard the music loudly and clearly outside from 15 feet east and 15 feet south of the establishment. Again, he entered the Transamerica building and heard the music clearly and distinctly in the front and rear of the building. He departed the area at 1:35 p.m.

The above findings of fact are not different on any material issue from those found by the board below. We find that these facts constitute a violation of Board Regulation 5.32(a), as did the board below.

Section 4-471 of the Liquor Code authorizes imposition of a fine for violation of “any regulations of the board....” Liquor Control Board Regulation 5.32(a), provides:

“(a) No licensee shall use or permit to be used inside or outside of the licensed premises a loudspeaker or similar device whereby the sound of music or other entertainment, or the advertisement thereof, can be heard on the outside of the licensed premises. ”

Licensee does not dispute the facts as found by the board and by the court. He contends, however, that because Naples Pizza is in a commercial, not a residential, area, no members of the public were disturbed by the music. He states that the music [154]*154could not be heard very far from the premises, and that the violations were infrequent and of short duration. Therefore, he argues, the violations were “de minimis” and should be dismissed.

No provision in regulation 5.32(a) limits its applicability to residential areas. Nor is there a provision requiring a member of the public to be disturbed by the music. There is no provision requiring more than one offense to constitute a violation, nor a requirement that the music be heard a minimum distance from the establishment, nor that it continue for a certain period of time.

Moreover, we find no cases interpreting the regulation as mandating such requirements. On the contrary, the regulation was held to be valid, reasonable and constitutional as written in Hude v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 55 Pa. Commonwealth Ct. 1, 423 A. 2d 15 (1980).

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

Related

In Re Revocation of Restaurant Liquor License No. R-2351
379 A.2d 659 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1977)
In the Matter of Ciro's Lounge
358 A.2d 141 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1976)
Tahiti Bar, Inc. Liquor License Case
395 Pa. 355 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1959)
Hude v. Commonwealth
423 A.2d 15 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1980)
Moravian Bar, Inc. Liquor License Case
188 A.2d 805 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1963)
Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board v. Washington Sporting Club
320 A.2d 851 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1974)
Smart, Inc. v. Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board
328 A.2d 923 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1974)
Commonwealth, Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board v. Latrobe Armed Services Ass'n
329 A.2d 549 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1974)
In re the Appeal of Center Road Tavern, Inc.
377 A.2d 204 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1977)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
24 Pa. D. & C.3d 149, 1981 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 90, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-luvera-pactcompllehigh-1981.