Opinion ID: 1592072
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: city's refusal to issue mechanical amusement device permits

Text: Under the Lincoln Municipal Code's chapter 5.12, ABC Books is required to secure an annual permit from the city clerk in order to operate its mechanical amusement devices, i.e., picture arcades. The relevant sections of the chapter provide: 5.12.020 Permit required. No person shall display for use or permit to be used any [mechanical amusement device, e.g., picture arcade] without first securing a permit therefor and paying an occupation tax thereon.... .... 5.12.160 Revocation of permit. If at any time any permittee, or a managing officer thereof, if the permittee is a corporation, firm, partnership, or association, or the person in charge of or managing the operation of such machines is not of good moral character, or is convicted of violating any of the provisions of this chapter or any laws against gambling, the city council may forthwith revoke such permit. .... 5.12.190 Expiration of permit. Each permit shall expire on, and shall be renewed by, the thirty-first (31st) day of May following the date of issuance. Lincoln Mun.Code §§ 5.12.020, 5.12.160, and 5.12.190 (1986). The record shows that in 1986 and the preceding years, ABC Books annually applied for and received permits to operate its picture arcades, that is, its fully enclosed video and 8-millimeter film booths. In 1987 and 1988, however, the city clerk refused to issue permits to ABC Books on grounds that ABC Books had been convicted of violating chapter 5.12 and remained in continuous violation thereof. When the city brought this action to have ABC Books permanently enjoined from operating its picture arcades in violation of chapter 5.12, ABC Books counterclaimed by requesting that the city clerk be enjoined from refusing to issue permits to ABC Books. The trial court denied ABC Books' counterclaim. On appeal, ABC Books contends that the trial court erred in failing to issue an injunction against the city clerk. The record shows that ABC Books was convicted three times in 1986 of violating the provisions of chapter 5.12. Further, the record shows that subsequent to its three convictions in 1986, ABC Books continued to operate its picture arcades in violation of chapter 5.12. Consequently, when ABC Books requested permits in 1987 and 1988, the city clerk refused to issue the permits. Under § 5.12.160, a single violation of chapter 5.12 constitutes a ground for revoking a mechanical amusement device permit. The continuous violation of chapter 5.12 constitutes a proper ground for refusing to issue an annual permit. Thus, the trial court properly denied injunctive relief to ABC Books. The judgment of the district court is in all respects affirmed. AFFIRMED.