When we hear about cases of drunk driving charges or underage drinking, we immediately think only of the suspects directly involved. A recent case in Richfield, however, shows that the law calls for a community as a whole to try to prevent underage drinking and DWI accidents.
How is a local Chinese restaurant related to the topic of alcohol-related accidents and crime? Well, all businesses that serve liquor are essentially legally responsible to protect citizens from dangerously using alcohol while on their premises. A Minnesota couple that runs a Chinese restaurant has found that out the hard way.
According to the Star Tribune, city officials have taken the restaurant’s liquor license away. Apparently, the business has been the destination of many police calls related to alcohol-fueled issues over the past couple of years.
Sources do not indicate whether any DUI cases have been directly related to the restaurant. Besides that, however, city officials reportedly had other incidents – 37 of them in one year – on which to base their decision to strip the restaurant of its liquor license.
In the owners’ defense, their attorney argues that city officials should not have taken away the license as a result of the 37 reported incidents since many of those supposed violations were never actually cited. He suggested that instead of taking away the property’s ability to serve liquor, the owners could hire more security to help prevent alcohol-related incidents and underage drinking.
Authorities were not convinced and stood their ground. The liquor license remains revoked, which could certainly affect the business’ income.
Source
Star Tribune: “Richfield denies Jun Bo liquor license,” Mary Jane Smetanka, 19 Apr. 2011