Case ID: ad_141/html/0139-01.html
Source: Caselaw Access Project
Author: {"author": "Woodward,. J.:", "license": "Public Domain", "url": "https://static.case.law/"}
Date Created: 2024-08-24T03:29:51.129683

In the Matter of the Application of Maynard N. Clement, as State Commissioner of Excise, Respondent, for an Order Revoking and Canceling Liquor Tax Certificate No. 9672, Issued to Albert Siems. Albert Siems and Others, Appellants.
    Second Department,
    November 23, 1910.
    Intoxicating liquors — maintaining disorderly house — revocation of ■ license — chapters 144 and 350, Laws of 1908, constitutional:
    Evidence examined, and held, sufficient to justify the revocation and cancellation of a liqu'or tax certificate on the ground that the holder thereof maintained a disorderly house upon the licensed premises.
    Chapters 144 and 350 of the Laws of 1908 and subdivisions of section 15 of the Liquor Tax Law do not violate any of the constitutional rights of the defendants in such a proceeding.
    Jerks, J., dissented.
    Appeal by Albert Siems and others from an order of .the Supreme Court, made at the Kings County Special Term and entered in the office of the clerk of the county of Kings on the 22d day of Jnly, 1910, revoking and canceling a liquor tax certificate issued to Albert Siems.
    
      Jerry A. Wernberg \Jaoob Brenner with him on the brief], for the appellants.
    
      Herbert H. Kellogg [Robert 8. GonMin-with him on the brief],, for the respondent. '
   Woodward,. J.:

The evidence of the special agents of the Excise Department, who are in no sense interested witnesses, clearly establishes that on the ,24th day of February, the 5th day of March and the 17th day of March, 1910, the premises at 26 Myrtle avenue, borough of Brooklyn, were occupied by the appellant 'under liquor tax certificate Mo. 9672; that in a room just in the rear of the barroom, and connected therewith-by a door, tables were provided for drinking, and that the special agents, visiting this room in the performance of their duties, were approached by lewd women and solicited to go with them to a neighboring hotel for immoral purposes; that these women approached the special agents immediately upon-entering the place; that they joined with the- witnesses in " drinking; that they made vulgar and indecent exposures -of their persons to the witnesses; the waiter joining in the drinking and in exposing the persons of these women, and assuring-the witnesses that these women would “give them a good time.” The'saloon is not a large .one; the evidence-is that one waiter only was employed, and. the transactions above mentioned took place after midnight and the drinking in each- instance was protracted until after one o’clock, drinks being .served after that hour. This is certainly not an orderly condition ; it is’not such a condition as the-holder, .of a liquor tax-certificate covenants with the-State' to preserve as a condition of retaining his. license. One isolated. case might not be sufficient to establish the existence, of a disorderly place; such a thing might occur once in even the best regulated places, but here, were three occasions, about two weeks apart, the witnesses being different' men in each instance, and practically the. same thing occurred on each occasion, the appellant’s waiter, acting in .conjunction with ■ the women, and participating in the lascivious exhibitions. To question ’ that tlfis constituted the' premises a disorderly place Would bp- to affront intelligence and the instincts of Common’ decency, and we fully concur in the conclusion reached by the learned, court at Special Term.

■ We are unable to discover in chapters-144 and 350 of the Laws . of 1908 (amdg.' Liquor Tax Law [Gen.-Laws, chap. 29;' Laws of. Í896, chap. 112], § 17, subd. 8) or in subdivision 8 of section -15. of the present Liquor, Tax Law (Consol.’ Laws, chap; 34 [Laws of 1909, chap. 39}, as amd. by Laws of. 1909, chap. 281, and since amd. by LáwS of 1910; chaps. 485, 503) any violation of any of tiie defend- ■ ants’ constitutional rights..' The case of People ex rel. Bernard v. McKee (59 Misc. Rep. 369; affd., 126 App. Div. 954) seems to have properly disposed of this question.

The order appealed from should be affirmed, with costs. ■

Hirschberg, P.' J., Thomas and Rich, JJ., concurred;. Jenks, J., dissented. . -

Order affirmed, with ten dollars costs and disbursements.