Wimberly v. White

54 So. 2d 869, 1951 La. App. LEXIS 864
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedNovember 15, 1951
DocketNo. 3430
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 54 So. 2d 869 (Wimberly v. White) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wimberly v. White, 54 So. 2d 869, 1951 La. App. LEXIS 864 (La. Ct. App. 1951).

Opinion

DORÉ, Judge.

This matter comes up as a result of the Louisiana Board of Alcoholic Beverage Control, hereinafter referred to as the Board, revoking the retail and liquor license that had been issued to Betty White and pursuant to which she had been operating a saloon known as Cedar Grove Club, at Gonzales, in the Parish of Ascension. Developments in the case may be summarized briefly as follows:

On February 5, 1951 Shirley G. Wimberly, in the capacity of a private citizen and resident of Orleans Parish, filed a petition with the Board alleging that Betty White had violated certain provisions of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law and praying that she should be summoned to show cause why her permit should not be suspended or revoked. Under the same date the Board sent defendant a notice of a hearing to be held on February 15, 1951. On February 15th defendant appeared, with counsel, and filed an exception of vagueness leveled at all the pertinent parts of Wimberly’s petition, an exception of no cause and no right of action based on several grounds, and an answer which denied the allegations made. The exceptions were overruled and the hearing was had, at the conclusion of which the Board, also on February 15th rendered judgment, to be’effective on March 1, 1951, revoking defendant’s permit. On February 27th defendant filed a petition (of appeal) with the Twenty-third Judicial District Court, re-urging the exceptions filed with the Board, attacking the constitutionality of parts of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law, LSA-RS 26:1 et seq., and asking for a restraining order to stay execution of the Board’s judgment. The restraining order was denied by the District Court, and on February 28th defendant applied tO' the Supreme Court for writs of certiorari, mandamus and prohibition; a writ of certiorari was granted, along with an order staying all proceedings against relator in the Twenty-third Judicial District Court. On March 20, 1951, on joint motion by counsel for defendant and for the Board, the Supreme Court recalled the writ of certiorari, amended its stay order SO' as to suspend enforcement of the Board’s order both by the Board and in the Twenty-third Judicial District Court, and remanded the case to the Twenty-third Judicial District Court for determination of the issues involved. The matter was set for trial in the District Court on May 29, 1951. On that date, and before going to trial, defendant filed a motion to set aside the fixing of the trial date on the ground that a suit was then pending in’ the Nineteenth Judicial District Court seeking a declaratory judgment holding the Alcoholic Beverage Act unconstitutional; the motion was denied. Defendant also filed a special plea setting up the unconstitutionality of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act.

The Louisiana Wholesale Liquor Dealers Association, Inc. filed a brief petition asking for leave to enter the cause amicus curiae, which was granted. Thereafter that association took no active part other than to join with the Board in presenting a brief to this Court on appeal.

Hearing of the case in the District Court was begun on May 29th and concluded on May 30, 1951. It is noted that the judgment signed by the District Court recites that it was read, rendered and signed on May 30, 1951, yet it is stamped “Filed May 29, 1951 * * * ” This, however, we consider a harmless error on the part of the clerk. The lower court’s judgment affirmed the order of the Board revoking the permit held by defendant. On June 2, 1951 defendant filed a motion for new trial or rehearing, which was denied on June 19th. Defendant’s counsel then moved for a suspensive or, in the alternative, a devolu-tive appeal; a devolutive appeal was granted and the appeal bond was filed on June 26, 1951.

Counsel for the Board has asked that the appeal be dismissed because the motion for appeal was oral rather than in writing, urging that all pleadings in district courts must be in writing. This claim we do not consider as serious. Code of Practice, Article 573 specifically provides that appeals may be taken by petition or by [872]*872motion in open court, at the same term at which the judgment was rendered, and our Supreme Court has held in Anderson v. Thomas, 166 La. S12, 17 So. 573, that a motion for appeal in open court need not be in writing unless so required by the rules of court.

The exceptions filed by defendant will be discussed first. The first of these was an exception of vagueness levelled at paragraphs two, three and four of complainant’s petition, which read as follows:

2. That on the 17th day of November, 1950, the said Betty White and/or her authorized agents, representatives and employees did sell or serve alcoholic beverages to an intoxicated person.

That on the 17th day of November, 1950, the said Betty White and/or her authorized agents, representatives and employees did indiscriminately solicit or accept regulated beverages from patrons or habitues of her establishment on or about the licensed premises.

3. That on the 10th day of December, 1950, the said Betty White and/or her authorized agents, representatives and employees did sell or serve alcoholic beverages to intoxicated persons, and was also guilty of immoral and improper conduct or practices.

That on the 10th day of December, 1950, the said Betty White did sell or serve alcoholic beverages to an intoxicated person.

That on the 10th day oí December, 1950, the said Betty White did indiscriminately solicit or accept regulated beverages from patrons or habitues of her establishment on the licensed premises.

4. That on the 14th day of January, 1951, the said Betty White was guilty of disturbing the peace and was also guilty of committing immoral and improper conduct or practices on or about the licensed premises.

That on the 14th day of January, 1951, the said Betty White did indiscriminately solicit or accept regulated beverages from patrons or habitues of her establishment on the licensed premises.

That on the 14th day of January, 1951, the said Betty White did invite or permit a person under the age of seventeen (17) years to visit or loiter in or about a place where alcoholic beverages or beer are the principal commodities sold or handled.

That on the 14th day of January, 1951, the said Betty White did sell and/or serve alcoholic beverages to a person under the age of eighteen (18) years.

In her exception of vagueness defendant contends that Article 2 failed to set out who made the alleged sale to an intoxicated 'person and who the person was, and who solicited beverages from patrons and from whom they were solicited. She insists that paragraph 3 should have stated the identity of the intoxicated person to whom alcoholic beverages were allegedly sold, and should have set out what acts constituted the “immoral and improper conduct” charged against her. She insists that paragraph 4 is vague in that it did not set forth facts that constituted disturbing the peace or improper conduct, did not show from whom she solicited beverages, and did not identify the minor or minors involved.

Either a casual or careful reading of petitioner’s complaint will show that the allegations made therein contained conclusions and not facts, and did not meet the requirement of Section 63 of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, LSA-RS 26:91, that the petition set forth “the facts and circumstances of the violation”.

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Bluebook (online)
54 So. 2d 869, 1951 La. App. LEXIS 864, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wimberly-v-white-lactapp-1951.