Opinion

Commonwealth, Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board v. Fort Washington Inn Operating Co.

  • 72 Pa. Commw. 542
  • 457 A.2d 172
  • 1983 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 1412
Court
Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania
Filed
Mar 11, 1983
Status
Published
Author
Blatt
On the bench
Blatt, Doyle, Williams
Cited by
3 cases
Authority
More cited than 9.1%

The opinion

Dissenting Opinion by

Judge Blatt

I must respectfully dissent.

In the Greenspan Liquor License Case, 438 Pa. 129 , 264 A.2d 690 (1970), which involved Section 471 of the Liquor Code and a citation issued by the Pennsylvania *547 Liquor Control Board (PLCB) on the basis of police reports, our Supreme Court stated that: “ [t]his problem arises because the statute contemplates only the situation in which the Board or enforcement officers have made an independent investigation.” Id. at 132 , 264 A.2d at 691 (emphasis added). It appears, therefore, that the Court read Section 471’s reference to “investigation” as meaning only an “independent investigation” by the PLCB and not the mere review of police reports.

In the case at hand, I do not believe that the PLCB conducted an independent investigation 1 involving affirmative actions, such as entering the licensed premises, and therefore can find no detrimental effect upon the licensee which the legislature may have intended to preclude by enacting Section 471 of the Liquor Code.

I would, therefore, reverse the order of the court of common pleas and reinstate the PLCB’s order.

do not believe that we are bound by the PLCB’s agent’s statement that his investigation consisted of reviewing police reports as an accurate legal interpretation of the term “investigation” under Section 471 of the Liquor Code.

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

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