Opinion ID: 2609904
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Plain wording

Text: Defendants submit that the words of § 4-312(B)  a person, firm, corporation or licensee is not liable,  are plain and must be applied accordingly. They read the words as granting immunity to every person, firm, or corporation, licensed or not, except those licensees liable under § 4-311 for sale to intoxicated or underaged persons. When determining legislative intent, they argue, courts must apply the ordinary meaning of the words used. This, of course, is true unless it appears from the context or otherwise that a different meaning should control. State v. Raffaele, 113 Ariz. 259, 262, 550 P.2d 1060, 1063 (1976) (emphasis added). If read in isolation, the provisions of § 4-312(B) may seem unambiguous. However, given § 4-301, Defendants' broad interpretation is insupportable. We believe the section headings are telling. Although section headings are not part of the substantive law, see § 1-212, they aid interpretation when uncertainty exists. State v. Barnett, 142 Ariz. 592, 597, 691 P.2d 683, 688 (1984). All three statutes are in chapter 3 of title 4. The chapter is entitled Civil Liability of Licensees and Other Persons. The legislature first addressed other persons  non-licensee, non-sale liability  in article 1 of chapter 3, denominated as § 4-301, Liability limitation; social hosts  (emphasis added). The following year, the legislature added article 2 to chapter 3, entitled Illegal Sale of Spirituous Liquor (emphasis added). These headings at least indicate that the legislature intended the first article (consisting of § 4-301) to apply to transactions other than sales and the second article (§§ 4-311 and 4-312) to apply to sales under a license.