In re R--4989 Carver House, Inc.
Decision Date | 19 September 1973 |
Citation | 310 A.2d 81,454 Pa. 38 |
Parties | In the Matter of Revocation of Restaurant Liquor License No. R--4989 Issued to the CARVER HOUSE, INC., Appellant. |
Court | Pennsylvania Supreme Court |
Rehearing Denied Oct. 26, 1973.
Abraham J. Levinson, Philadelphia, for appellant.
J Shane Creamer, Atty. Gen., Alexander J. Jaffurs, Asst. Atty Gen., Albert B. Miller, Sp. Asst. Atty. Gen., Philadelphia for appellee.
Before JONES, C.J., and EAGEN, O'BRIEN, ROBERTS, POMEROY, NIX and MANDERINO, JJ.
On August 3, 1967, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (Board) cited appellant, a restaurant liquor licensee in Philadelphia, for violations of the Liquor Code. An evidentiary hearing was held, at which it was affirmatively established that one of appellant's employees had, on two occasions, sold narcotics on the licensed premises. On the basis of this factual finding, appellant's liquor license was revoked.
Carver House appealed that order to the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. Act of April 12, 1951, P.L. 90, art. IV, as amended, 47 P.S. § 4--471 (Supp.1972). That court, without making findings at variance with those found by the Board examiner, vacated the Board-imposed revocation on the ground that the penalty was inconsistent with sanctions applied in similar cases. The matter was remanded to the Board 'for further consideration in accordance with this opinion.'
No appeal was taken, and on June 29, 1969, the Board, without developing additional facts, entered a second order revoking appellant's license. Carver House again appealed to the court of common pleas; however, on this appeal, the court determined that since it was unable to make findings of facts materially at odds with those of the Board, it was without authority to modify the Board's order of revocation. On appeal, the Commonwealth Court affirmed. Carver House, Inc. v. Liquor Control Board, 3 Pa.Cmwlth. 453, 281 A.2d 473 (1971). This Court granted allocatur and we now affirm.
The Commonwealth Court correctly held, in accordance with all prior decisions of this Court and the Superior Court, that the court was without authority to alter a penalty imposed by the Liquor Control Board, where such penalty was obviously within the Board's statutorily conferred powers.
Italian Citizens Nat'l Ass'n of America Liquor License Case, 178 Pa.Super. 213, 216, 115 A.2d 881, 882 (1955). Here, no different findings of fact on material issues were made by the hearing court. Accordingly, that court was correct in its ruling (as was the Commonwealth Court in affirming) that it was without authority to modify the penalty imposed by the Liquor Control Board. See also Banterla Liquor License Case, 166 Pa.Super. 544, 72 A.2d 602 (1950); Pacewicz Liquor License Case, 152 Pa.Super. 123, 31 A.2d 361 (1943).
The interpretation of Section 471 of the Liquor Code, as set out above, has remained constant for over twenty years. In 1960, the Superior Court reaffirmed its holding that
East End Social Club Liquor License Case, 193 Pa.Super. 583, 586, 165 A.2d 253, 254 (1960).
Again in 1971, the Superior Court restated that
Pace Liquor License Case, 218 Pa.Super. 300, 302, 280 A.2d 642, 643--644 (1971). See also Yugovich Liquor License Case, 217 Pa.Super. 353, 272 A.2d 510 (1970); Delpark Athletic Club Liquor License Case, 215 Pa.Super. 1, 257 A.2d 600 (1969). [1]
Appellant would have us radically and unwisely depart, without reason or logic, from over twenty years of salutary and well-settled case law. This we will not do. What this Court recently stated in Noonday Club of Delaware County, Inc. Liquor License Case, 433 Pa. 458, 464--465, 252 A.2d 568, 572 (1969) (four members of this Court agreeing that the Superior Court had erred by reducing the penalty imposed by the Board) is controlling here and is dispositive of appellant's contentions.
.
The order of the Commonwealth Court, therefore, is affirmed.
MANDERINO, J., took no part in the consideration or decision of this case.
For reasons nowhere set forth in its opinion, the Court today makes a sacred cow of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board by holding that it is impossible for the Board to commit an abuse of discretion in imposing a penalty for violation of the Liquor Code where the facts are not in dispute. [1] I must dissent from this unwise and unjustifiable departure from the normal minimum judicial review of administrative action. [2]
The majority asserts that the issue today is controlled by 'over twenty years of salutary and well settled case law.' In my view the case law referred to is neither salutary nor well settled.
Appeals from orders of the Board revoking liquor licenses are provided for by section 471 of the Liquor Code, 47 P.S. § 4--471 (Supp. 1972--73). That section reads in pertinent part:
(My emphasis).
Appellant argues that this section mandates a trial De novo, to be conducted without reference to either the findings of fact or the penalty imposed by the Board. The Board argues on the other hand that the court of common pleas may not change or modify the penalty imposed by the Board unless it first finds facts different from those found by the Board; in other words, if the court sustains the findings of the Board, it may not disturb the penalty. In support of that position the Board cites a long list of authority. See, e.g., In re Noonday Club of Delaware County, Inc. Liquor License, 433 Pa. 458, 252 A.2d 568 (1969); In re Yugovich Liquor License, 217 Pa.Super. 353, 272 A.2d 510 (1970); In re East End Social Club...
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...310 A.2d 81 ... 454 Pa. 38 ... In the Matter of Revocation of Restaurant Liquor License No ... R--4989 Issued to the CARVER HOUSE, INC., Appellant ... Supreme Court of Pennsylvania ... Sept. 19, 1973 ... Rehearing Denied Oct. 26, 1973 ... [454 Pa. 39] Abraham J. Levinson, Philadelphia, for appellant ... J. Shane Creamer, Atty. Gen., Alexander J. Jaffurs, Asst ... ...