Case Name: JAMES T. VOCELLE, as Director of the State Beverage Department of the State of Florida, his agents, employees, and all those claiming by, through or under him, v. JOHN MALESZEWSKI, JR.
Court: Florida Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1948-03-23
Citations: 160 Fla. 291
Docket Number: 
Parties: JAMES T. VOCELLE, as Director of the State Beverage Department of the State of Florida, his agents, employees, and all those claiming by, through or under him, v. JOHN MALESZEWSKI, JR.
Judges: THOMAS, C. J., TERRELL and ADAMS, JJ., concur.
Reporter: Florida Reports
Volume: 160
Pages: 291–292

Head Matter:
JAMES T. VOCELLE, as Director of the State Beverage Department of the State of Florida, his agents, employees, and all those claiming by, through or under him, v. JOHN MALESZEWSKI, JR.
34 So. (2nd) 436
March 23, 1948
January Term, 1948
Special División B
J. Tom, Watson, Attorney General, and D. Fred McMullen, for appellants.
W. W. Flournoy, for appellee.

Opinion:
BARNS, J.:
The appellee held a beer license which was revoked after a hearing before the appellant, whereupon the appellee brought a suit in equity to restrain the revocation of the beer license.
The appellant filed his answer to the bill and a final hearing the chancellor entered a final decree enjoining the revocation of the license by the Director.
Appellant has assigned as error the action of the chancellor in denying appellant's "motion to dismiss" plaintiff's appellee's bill.
This raises the question of whether or not the bill has equity. The only material allegations of the bill are that appellee has spent $11,000 in the purchase and improvement of his place of business; that he was a holder of a license to sell beer and that the Director-apellant gave him notice of revocation of his beer license upon specific charges; that pursuant thereto a hearing was had before the Director and the Director revoked the license "without any basis in fact or in law."
A suit in equity cannot be used for the purpose of procuring a review of the proceedings of a board, commission or commissioner. Common law certiorari is the appropriate method of judicial review of such proceedings when there is no prescribed method. See State Beverage Department v. Willis, 32 So. (2nd) 580, and other authorities therein cited.
The bill is without equity, and the decree appealed is reversed.
THOMAS, C. J., TERRELL and ADAMS, JJ., concur.