NE-W ENEWAL 

OF TWXAS 

August ~7, 1952 

Hon. Coke R. Stevenson, Jr. Qglnlon MO. V-1495 

Administrator 

Texas Liquor Control Board Re: Dlscretlonary or 

Aaatin, Texas mandatory chara&er 

of the previelon ln 

Artlale 667-21,V.P.C., 

for license oance~ll~- 

tlon following a 

thirty-da7 bucpeasion 

of the license. 

Dear Sir: 

You have requeeted of thlr office an lnterpretatlon of Article8 667-1gA and 667-21, Vernon's 

Penal Code, rlth reference to the authority of the 

Texas ~uorCentrol~~Board to suapen4summarlly a 

reta&l~,beer dealer's~ l,%+mnee :aCber.s~-breach.oi the. 

peaee .ha8 ceourred ,OLI ~-%a .~l*eeneed pmmbes, the 

hea&mg~thereon, and the cancellation or 8wepenslon 

of t&~llcen8e after the hearing. Your question8 are 

as fO11SrrS: 

"With reference to .the foregoing Section 21, I reepectf+ully request your opinion 

on each of the iollowlng~.que8tlona: 

"1. Whether or not the AdAiAi8tratOr 

has the dlacretlonary authority to lesue a 

summary auapenelon prior to the scheduled 

date for hearing a ca8e. 

*2. Whether br not the AdAini8tratOr 

haa the dl8cretlonary authority to stmmarl1y 

8U8pend a lleense for a period 1e8c than 30 

dam. 

“3. Whether or not the Adainlstrator 

ha8 the authorit. to grant a pOctpOnelent Of 

the case, at the request of the llcennee, to 

a date beyond the expiration of the lnltlal 

thirty daJs! aumtuary suspension. 

"4. Ii your an8wer to queatlon No. 3 Is 

In the aiflmatlve, does the rumnary suspenclon 

remain In effect until the re-scheduled date of 
’ 

Hon. Coke R. Steveneon, Jr., page 2, (V-1495) 

hearing, or doe8 It expire at the end of 

the initial thlrtr~ days? 

*5. Where a' 'breaah~of peace' ha8 

ooaurred on the premi8e8, ,rerultlng ircm 

improper supervisionby licensee, may the 

~Administrator~under the~.paevi.siass of Article 667-196, Vexmods, Peaal,Code, suspend 

the lloense-ior,,any,pepiod .up to sixty day&, 

In lieu of outright cancellation, a6 mentioned In Article 667-21, Vernon's Penal 

Code?' 

Article 667-21, Vernon*s Penal Code, reads 

a8 iSuOW8: 

'The Board or Admlnlatrator shall have " 

thepower and authority to 8nSpeAd for a 

,length of tire not exceedlng,thlrty (30) 

5 days~the~~icense~~oi~-anJr,retail~b~r dealer 

upen a8ee.vtaining~thab~.enj aet aen+tut.- 

,.z;:;; ~;breaoh; of .the~~m~~~has~.eoea.rzwd ,apen 

~~~oevU~&-~bj~thw&itMa8e oi ,8uch, 

retaiL~,~l~a',or-u~r~-hi0 4w3atzw1, and at 

,the -ekpUatbm sP,~'~~a~,-te.,'~'~-su~h 

~~If~l,~,.~~,;~~~"'.~.~~ ,;@p ,u- 

'.sSn;Ls~&tss,8Ipall'oaacn~'t~, xhU448e ,JZAle88 

%%shal,l .havu.beea~~sheya to the ~8atispaotlen 

of the.Bmrd or~Ad&nWtnater that the acat, 

wa8 beyond the ccntroL of the,pereon hol.ding 

the llcenae and did not result from improper 

aUpelVi8iOn by the licensee Of the cenduct 

of person8 permitted by him to be on the 

lfeensed premises or premises under hi8 control." 

At the outset It should be noted that the 

above quoted ~statute authorizes the Texas Liquor Control Board or Its Adminl8trator to take two separate 

actions ~wlth,regard to the cancellation or 8u8penalcn 

of a retail beer dealer'8 license. The first oi,theZ8e 

IS a prelialnary suspension Of the 1icen8e after it 

,has ,lPeen ascertained that a breach of the peace ha8 

occurred on the liceA8ed premisea. Thie initial au8- 

.pen8len period is only temporary, and it may not ex- 

-eeed thirty daJn! duration. The next action authorized IS the permanent dl8p@8ltiOn Of the 1iceA8e. The 

license~nuat be cancelled unless the licensee can show 
Hon ., Coke R. Stevan8on, Jr.,, page 3, (v-1495) 

that thcbreach~of, the peace did not oacur because 0r 

lmpreper supervision oi,the premises. Waring In mind 

'thaw two.8epnrate etep6,-we turx~rlrst ,to your quqstionsconoernlngthe nature cf, the ~lnltlal suspension. 

..A .license~,or permlt.to sell ,beer or other 

lntt&iting.liquor~ls not a property ~rlght,, but 18 

a~prmr6ana.pr~vllege which. 18 accepted sulsjeot ,to certaln.cend~tlona ~sct farth,~lnMthe statute, that authorl!zes.~ its .~188tu?mc6. Since a license Is a prlvl,l*ge 

-ratherthaz,,a ~rlght, ,questioRs ~csncerniag it8 eance17 

.lat.fmvcis sU6p6n6i6n me ,pmvperlj omlt~ted to .an admiai&ratkve~agenay.. Thu8, in 'acoeptiag hi8 11e6n8er 

thk.POt~~l~ bo6r 11.8m666~$t@wu6 ,&hat the Tess8 &lqUer 

,C0akel~ Bear& .&all have the authertty te mapend or 

fxum4L.,his .ll.oenee .fer any ene0r n number af ~6~668. 

~8~et..&PXth. in.,th&S.tatUte. Jon08 ,Y.~ &8h, 148 76X. 

~3hz,,..S4 S&i&.. Z&1,98 &49) i Texa LLqu,er Central Beard 

v. ~O!Fallnn, 189 S.W.2d 885 (Pex.$flv.App. 1945). 

,Article .66~-21, su ra provide8 that the.Board 

or Admlnlatratcr "shall have --+ he Bower and authority to 

.6urrpr9Q.ferFa length of tini not ixceedlng thirty (30) 

,dayn" a.retalL.beer dealei's llcen8e,~upon a8certalnlng 

that,a bmach.of.the~ peace has occurred en the dealer's 

preiul.se8. lelther by express language nor by rea8onable 

impliCatioA doe8 this statute require that a licensee 

be granted a hearlng before this initial aucpenslon may 

be lmpaaed,.and,we are unable to f'lad 8UCh a requirement 

In any other provi8lon or the Liquor Control Act. Summary action Is orten deemed necessary In dealing with 

ruch, thlngs'~as public health and morals., and in the 

abs6nce of any express or implied provi8lon to the contrary, a statute ~0r thl8 nature contemplate8 thakan 

admlnl.atratlve body IS ve8ted with a 8ummary power. 

Dar .Apartment,Co. v. Springer,22 A.2d 397 (Del.Sup. 

'194y 

!Phe language quoted In the preceding paragraph 

doe8~not impose upon the Board a mandatory duty to 8U8- 

~pend.a dealer's license on the 8ole baa18 oi the, occurrence of the breach of the peace. It merely authcri8es 

the~Board to do 80. Rcr dces It require that the 8UU- 

~paluioti remain ln effect for any deflnlte period of tlms, 

80 longas it doC8 net exceed thirty dayr. It i8 our 

opinion, therefore, that the Texas, Liquor Control Board 

ha8 the dlscretlonary authority, upon a8CertainiAg that 

a breach of the peace ha8 occurred on the licensed premises of a retail beer dealer, to suspend summarily the 

dealer's license for any length Or time Up t0 a maximum 
HQAa COkO R.~gteVelarea, Jr., pag6.4, ,(V-l495) 

0r thirty day8, anCthl8 awM+i$r 8ay be eXO&Vi8Od 

pr1orte.a hearing to deteelno wLat C?arther action 

18 warra@ted. Thl8 an8werpI JOwr 'rir6t asd 8MWd querti0m,la th6 arrimative. 

Artlale 667-21 wae enacted rer the purpose 

er.poridiag a .8JNCiriC aau8e rer the oanrrellatlon 0r 

,a m;Wl beer dealer'8 llo6r8e; It 18 net a prosed- 

~ura.L.&6tate,~ and pr6virlon rq a~ h6sring 18 made only 

b~~bylination. ~A lleen8e 8kould be oaneelled "unle86 

it.&& &own to the.iratiefactlea ef the Board or A(wIlrtz?ater that the act wa8 beyend tti oontrol of the 

~pezA&bBoldlng .the lleen8e." Thu8 the llcea8ee murt 

be.~a&eda.hearlng;.ln erder that + may have an opperWty ts show that the breroh ef'the'peaor ua8 not 

the. re8ult Or. Improper, 8tapen181ora. 

The.rtatute~lr ale6 rilMt a8 to the time 

-at whlakthe,hearln~ mut be hali, asd no prsvl8len. 

i8..~~.supect~.prt)ea6Hntr. Article 667-20, 

?isCrrre!s~~l mwhloh d6618 with oanaellatlea 

heam~~~~~erally,.neFely gi+er, ,the Beard the power 

'%&f&x ~a.date rer h6arly. Heuqver, the authorltr 

.~,,.~&. holA.~hearl8g8 ~esMie8 with It the pewer to pre- 

~...~wrAbe .precedare, lr the ab6eaee si nay rueh designatlem in the ~8tatrPte. 3 Sutherlam'on Statutory Constructlen (3rd ed. 1943) 267. Ordi+arlly the 'tiplied 

pewer or~the Bcard.er Adminiitrator to prercribe 

reaWnableMprocedural 8tep8 would Include the authority to~grant ..postporamenfn or hearlngl). 

.Bowever, Artlele 667-21.provlder that "at 

the cxplratlon of the date to which ouch ll6en8e ha8 

b6eA suclpended? the licen8e rhall be, oancelled Wale88 

lti8~8hown that It war beywd the power of ei811- 

.cenae&to preventWth6~~ breach d ,the Pease. 

langmge~clearly~lnplles that. permanent a&lea, either 

by n~.of~aancellatlomor relartatemeat of the llcen8e, 

mu& h&taki?%berore~the iaitlal~~ rprary ru8peari0A 

eQ&+e6. hit fOllolt8 that the hearing may not be portpon&beycnd that date. In athaP yOrd8, If the Board 

deem6 lt~neoersary to 898pend a dealer's lioenae for 

.a.. bmaeh of.the,peace,~~ It nut either eanoel er relnctate the.llaiHkce wlthlr a maxImum of thlrtr day8 

~33rfar.if iBpOSC8 the iauopen8len. This (uswar yeur 

thl??d!l,..qu6.atian~ln ~the .nagatlve and render8 It urineces~,~ta amswer.your,fourth que8tlan. 
Hon. Coke R. Stevenson, Jr., Page 5 (Y-1495) 

Article 667ylgA, Vernon's Penal Code, reads 

a8 follows: 

"As ~to,any eatises for cancellation of ll- 

~aenaer~hereln provided, In lieu of such caa- 

.~ eellatlon, the Board or Administrator shall 

have the discretionary power and authority 

to suspend any suoh license for a period not 

. to.exceed sixty (60) days." 

Article 667-21, au ra warn, enacted in Its 

present forma8 a part of I+- ouae Bill 5, Act8 45th Leg., 

R.S. 1937, eh. 448, p. 1053. Section lgA, however, was 

enacted at a subsequent session of the Legislature. It 

was made a part of the Texas Liquor Control Act by Senate~Bll1 117, Aetr 48th Leg., 1943, eh. 325, p. 509. 

Sectlon.19 of~the latter Act reada, la part, aa followa: 

"Sec. lg. That Artiole II, Chapter 467, 

Acts,of the Second Called Session of the 44th 

~~ Iaglalature, as amended by Article III of Chapter.4 5, Acts of the Third Called Session of 

the 4 % th Legislature, and by Chapter 448, being 

..Bouse~.Blll.Ro. 5, Acts of the Regular Seselon 

of the 45th Legislature, and by Chapter 13, belug Senate Bill Ho. 20, Acts of the First Called 

~Sesslon.of the 45th Legislature, and by Senate 

Bill lfo. 414, Acts of the Regular Session of 

the 47th Leglalature, be further amended by 

the addition of~new Sections designated as Sections 5-A, 19-A, and 19-B, all of which shall 

hereafter,read aa follows: . . ." 

Thus It Is apparent that Section 1gA wa8 lntendcd am &n amendment to Article II of the Liquor Control 

Act .as a whole, or Article 667-1 et seq, Vernon's Pew1 

Code, rather than an addltlon to any particular section 

of the Act. 

Article 667-21 provides that "the Board or Adalnistrator.shall camel the license" of a retail beer 

llaemaae.rho baapermltted.a breach of the peace to occuren~hFs,premlses.~ Article 667-WA, however, provides 

for a slxtqpday.mspenslon of the license in lieu of cancellation aa to any cause8 of cancellation herein provlded."~ Since Section 1gA Is the more recent enactment 

and applies to Article ,I1 of the Liquor Control Act as 

a whole rather than to any one of Its sectiona, It lnplledly amends Section 21 by adding the sixty-day 
Ban. Coke R. Stevenson, Jr., Page 6 (V-1495) 

auapenalcaa provision as an alternative penalty 

tiona. We are of the opinion, therefore, that 

for violaa retail 

beer dealer's license need not be cancelled when It 1s 

found that a breach of the peaea has ocsurred on his 

premlaea,.but~thc license may be suspended for a perlea 

up to~,nlxty days-. This answers your fifth question In 

the affirmative. 

SUMMARY 

Article 667-21, Vernon's Penal Code, authorleea~the Texas Llqwor Control Board or Its 

Admlnlatratar to snapend summarily a retail beer 

dealer's lleenne.for a period of thirty days or 

leaa,,upon aaeertalnlng that a breaeh of the 

~peaee~haa occurred on~the licensed premlaea. A 

hearing to determine whether the breach could 

have.been.prevented by the lloensee muat be heId 

before the mmtary suspension axpfFes . Upon., aa- 

~certalnlng that the breach of the peace could 

have,beea,prevented by the lieemaee, the Board 

or its A@BUalatrator is authorized by Article 

667~19A, Vernon's Penal Code, to suspend the 

.llaure~fer a.maxlmtu~.of sixty days, in lieu of 

~eancellatlon. ~. 

APPROVED Yours very truly, 

Wed llcDanle1 PRICE DAHIEL 

State Affalp8 Dlvlslon Attorney General 

E. Jacobson 

Reviewing Assistant 

Charl~es D. Mathews 

Fix-at Assistant 

Calvin B.~ Qarwood, Jr. 

Assistant