Opinion ID: 2451804
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Stevens's Collateral Challenge On His Citation Convictions

Text: Stevens raises several arguments challenging the validity of the ordinance on which his citation convictions were based. Stevens reasons that to the extent the Borough's protest was based in whole or great part on these citations, the protest also is invalid. Stevens maintains, in relevant part, that: (1) he is not estopped from challenging the noise ordinance's validity by virtue of his arguments before the court of appeals; and (2) due to the Borough's failure to follow required procedures to pass the noise ordinance, it is invalid. As the superior court noted, Stevens failed to brief these arguments before either the ABC Board or ALJ, and, except in passing, failed to mention them during oral argument before the ALJ. Stevens instead merely referenced his then-ongoing citation conviction challenges before the court of appeals which ultimately affirmed Stevens's convictions. To the extent Stevens might have been permitted to collaterally challenge the citation convictions, he was required to brief adequately his challenge as an initial matter before the ALJ. [38] Failure to do so precludes Stevens's attempt to collaterally challenge his citation convictions here, especially in light of both his knowledge as a liquor licensee that violations of local law could result in the revocation of his liquor license and his repeated encounters with the Borough preceding and following his initial citation. Although Stevens unsuccessfully challenged the noise ordinance on direct appeal by failing to preserve the issue, [39] he also could have filed a declaratory action against the ordinance's validity or attacked the ordinance's validity before the ALJ as an initial matter in this case. Stevens's failure to do so does not create a new avenue before this court by which he may challenge his convictions. On this record, Stevens's citation convictions themselves are sufficient to overcome a challenge that the Borough behaved in an arbitrary, capricious, and unreasonable manner in protesting Stevens's continued operation under his liquor license. We therefore affirm the superior court's conclusion that the ALJ correctly found the Borough's protest was not arbitrary, capricious, and unreasonable.