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** .ha8ceourred,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 .theforegoing 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 auapenelonprior 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 

### requestof the llcennee,to a date beyond the expiration of the lnltlal thirty daJs! aumtuary suspension.

"4. 

### Iiyour an8wer to queatlon No. 3 Is In the aiflmatlve, does the **rumnary** suspenclon remain In effect until the re-scheduleddate of’

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

hearing, or 

### doe8 It expire at the end of the initial thlrtr~ 

### days?

*5. Wherea''breaah~of peace' ha8 ooaurred on the premi8e8, ,rerultlngircm improper supervisionby licensee,may the ~Administrator~underthe~.paevi.siass of Article 

### 667-196,Vexmods,Peaal,Code, suspend the lloense-ior,,any,pepiod .upto 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:

'TheBoard or Admlnlatrator shall have " thepower and authority to 8nSpeAd for a ,lengthof 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,pereonhol.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 lfeensedpremises or premises under hi8 control."

At the outset It should be noted that the above quoted~statuteauthorizes the Texas Liquor Control Board 

### or Its Adminl8trator to take two separate actions~wlth,regardto 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

ascertainedthat a breach of the peace ha8 occurred on the liceA8edpremisea. 

### Thie initialau8- .pen8lenperiod is only temporary, and it may not ex- 

### -eeedthirty daJn! duration. The next action authorized IS the permanent dl8p@8ltiOn Of the 1iceA8e. The license~nuatbe cancelledunless the licensee can showHon., Coke R. Stevan8on, Jr.,, page 

### 3, (v-1495)

that thcbreach~of, the peace did not oacur because 0r lmprepersupervision oi,the premises. Waring In mind 'thaw two.8epnrate etep6,-we turx~rlrst,toyour quqstionsconoernlngthe nature cf,the ~lnltlalsuspension.

..A .license~,or

permlt.to sell ,beeror other lntt&iting.liquor~ls not a 

### property~rlght,, 

### but 18 a~prmr6ana.pr~vllegewhich.**18** accepted sulsjeot 

## ,to **cer** taln.cend~tlona~sctfarth,~lnMthe statute,

that authorl!zes.~ its**.~188tu?mc6.** Since a license Is a prlvl,l*ge -ratherthaz,,a~rlght,,questioRs ~csncerniagit8 eance17 

### .lat.fmvcis

**sU6p6n6i6n** 

### me ,pmvperlj omlt~ted to .anadmiai&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 .ferany 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 "shallhave he Bower and authority to --+ .6urrpr9Q.ferFa

length of tini not 

### ixceedlngthirty (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 languagenor by rea8onable impliCatioAdoe8 this statute require that a licensee be granted a hearlng before this initial aucpenslonmay be lmpaaed,.and,weare unable to f'lad8UCh a requirement In any other provi8lon or the Liquor Control Act. Summary action Is orten deemed necessary In dealingwith ruch, thlngs'~as

public health and morals., and in the abs6nce of any express or implied provi8lon to the 

### contrary, a statute~0rthl8 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 

### precedingparagraph doe8~not imposeupon the Board a mandatory duty to 8U8- ~pend.adealer's license on the 8ole baa18 oi the,occurrence of the breach of 

### thepeace. 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 maximumHQAa 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 quer**  ti0m,la th6 arrimative.

Artlale 667-21 wae enacted rer the purpose **er.poridiag** a .8JNCiriC aau8e **rer the**  oanrrellatlon 0r ,am;Wl beer dealer'8 llo6r8e; **It** 18 

### net a **prosed-** ~ura.L.&6tate,~



### andpr6virlon rq 

### a~h6sring 18 made only b~~bylination. 

### ~Alleen8e 8kould be oaneelled "unle86 it.&& &own to the.iratiefactlea ef the Board or A(wI**lrtz?ater** that the act wa8 **beyend** tti oontrol of the **~pezA&bBoldlng** .thelleen8e." Thu8 the 

### llcea8ee murt be.~a&eda.hearlng;.ln **erder** that + may have an opperWty ts show that the 

### brerohef'the'peaorua8 **not** the. re8ult Or. 

### Improper, **8tapen181ora.**

The.rtatute~lrale6 rilMt a8 to the time -atwhlakthe,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.daterer h6arly. Heuqver, the authorltr .~,,.~&. holA.~hearl8g8

~esMie8 with It the 

### pewer to pre- ~...~wrAbe

.precedare,lr 

### the ab6eaee si nay ruehdesignatlem 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 authorityto~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,oancelledWale88 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 port**pon&beycnd** that date. In athaP **yOrd8, If**  the Board deem6 lt~neoersary to 

### 898penda dealer's lioenae for
.a.. **bmaeh** of.the,peace,~~ It nut either eanoel **er** relnctate the.llaiHkce wlthlr a maxImum of thlrtr day8 ~33rfar.ifiBpOSC8 the iauopen8len. 

### This (uswar yeur thl??d!l,..qu6.atian~ln ~the.nagatlveand render8 It urineces~,~ta amswer.your,fourthque8tlan.Hon. Coke R. Stevenson, Jr., Page 5 (Y-1495)

Article 

### 667ylgA,Vernon's Penal Code, reads a8 follows:

"As~to,anyeatises for cancellation of ll- ~aenaer~herelnprovided, In lieu of such caa-

.~ eellatlon, the Board or Administrator shall have the discretionarypower and authority to 

### suspendany 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 ouae Bill 5, Act8 45th Leg., I+- 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 

### 48thLeg., 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.ofthe 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,readaa follows:

. . ."

Thus It Is apparent that Section 1gA wa8 lntendcd am &n amendment to Article II of the Liquor Control Act .asa whole, or Article 

### 667-1et seq, Vernon's Pew1 Code, rather than an addltlon to any particular section of the Act.

Article 

### 667-21provides that "theBoard **or** Adalnistrator.shall camel the license" of a retail beer llaemaae.rhobaapermltted.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 cancellationherein 

### provlded."~ Since Section 1gA Is the more recent enactment and applies to Article ,I1of the Liquor Control Act as a whole rather than to any one of Its sectiona, It lnplledly amends Section 21 by adding the sixty-dayBan. 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 licenseneed not be cancelledwhen It 1s found that a breach of the peaea has ocsurred on his premlaea,.but~thc licensemay **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~theTexas 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~haaoccurred on~the licensedpremlaea. A hearing to determine whether the breach could have.been.prevented**by** the lloenseemuat be heId 

### before **the mmtary**  **suspension** axpfFes

. Upon., aa- ~certalnlngthat the breach of the peace could have,beea,preventedby 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