Texas Liquor Control Board v. Marine Exchange Social Club

127 S.W.2d 967, 1939 Tex. App. LEXIS 642
Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided April 12, 1939·No. No. 8806.·Published·Cited by 10 cases

Opinion

BLAIR, Justice.

This proceeding arose as an appeal under the provisions of Art. 1, Sec. 12a, Subsection 5, of the Texas Liquor Control Act, Vernon’s Ann.P.C. art. 666 — 12a(5), from the order of the administrator of the Liquor Control Board cancelling the beer retailers on-premises license of appellee, a corporation. The administrator cancelléd the license after due notice and hearing, upon the ground that appellee and its agents had in their possession on the premises whiskey in violation of the provisions of the Texas Liquor Control Act. Vernon’s Ann.P.C. art. 666 — 1 et seq. On the hearing in the district court, appellee introduced in evidence the following documents :

(a) Notice of Hearing before the Administrator of the Texas Liquor Control Board, together with the officer’s return showing service on plaintiff.

(b) The Administrator’s Order of Cancellation of plaintiff’s permit.

(c) Plaintiff’s Notice of Appeal from the Administrator’s Order of Cancellation.

■ (d) Copy of Plaintiff’s letter to the Administrator accompanying its Notice of Appeal.

(e) Interlocutory Order in Cause No. 52,398, in the 10th District Court of Galveston County, Texas, styled Marine Exchange Social Club, et al. vs. O. W. Hou-chens et al.

Appellee offered no oral testimony and made no effort to offer a transcript of the evidence introduced at the hearing before -the administrator, but took the position that the burden was upon the administrator or Liquor Control Board to introduce said transcript of evidence into the record and to show that the order of cancellation was based upon substantial evidence. It seems that the trial court agreed with this contention; and upon attention being called to the fact that either the Assistant Attorney General, or Agent, representing the Liquor' Control Board, or administrator, had in their possession in the court room a transcript of the evidence or proceeding before the administrator, requested the attorney and agent of the Control Board or administrator present to present same in the court. This was refused, upon the *968 ground that the burden of proof was upon the contestant to show that the action of the Board was illegal, and that the Attorney General and agent of the Liquor Control Board or administrator did not wish to assume the burden of proof at that time. Upon the refusal to assume the burden of proof, or to introduce the record of the proceedings before the administrator for cancellation of the permit, the trial court entered a judgment setting aside and holding that the order of cancellation “was not based upon proper and lawfully obtained substantial evidence, and that the action of the Texas Liquor Control Board was unreasonable and arbitrary.”

The agreed statement of facts does not show that the Assistant Attorney General and agent of the Texas Liquor Control Board present in the court refused to produce the transcript of evidence for use by appellee, nor that the Liquor Control Board or administrator refused a certified copy of such record; but refused to introduce the transcript for the purpose of showing the order was valid, contending that the burden of proof was ttpon the appellee to show that the prima facie valid order of the Control Board cancelling the permit and introduced in evidence by appellee was invalid.

The law is settled in this state that on a statutory appeal from an order of the Texas Liquor Control Board or its administrator cancelling a beer license or permit because of some violation of the Liquor Control Act, the burden of proof is upon the party attacking it to show that the order is invalid. Bradley v. Texas Liquor Control Board, Tex.Civ.App., 108 S.W.2d 300; Texas Liquor Control Board v. Jones, Tex.Civ.App., 112 S.W.2d 227; Texas Liquor Control Board v. Warfield, Tex.Civ.App., 110 S.W.2d 646; Id., Tex. Civ.App., 111 S.W.2d 862; Texas Liquor Control Board v. Floyd, Tex.Civ.App., 117 S.W.2d 530; Texas Liquor Control Board v. Blacher, Tex.Civ.App., 115 S.W.2d 1030; Texas Liquor Control Board v. Tschoerner, Tex.Civ.App., 117 S.W.2d 121. Such orders are not only made prima facie valid by statute, but being official acts there is a presumption in favor of their legality; and the one attacking them upon the ground that there was not sufficient evidence before the Board or administrator to authorize the cancellation of the license must show that fact on an appeal from the order cancelling such license. Texas Liquor Control Board v. Floyd, supra; Humble Oil & Refining Co. v. Railroad Comm., Tex.Civ.App., 112 S.W.2d 222.

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Texas Liquor Control Board v. Marine Exchange Social Club, 127 S.W.2d 967, 1939 Tex. App. LEXIS 642 (Tex. Ct. App. 1939).

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