Court Opinion

ID: 9844582
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 03:05:00.676717+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:15:38.317566
License: Public Domain

COMPTON, Chief Justice (dissenting). The opinion proposed strikes down our own well-reasoned cases to the contrary, ignores the public policy of the state, and plays havoc with a long established rule of procedure. The public has clamored for years for a decentralization of the power to regulate the liquor traffic from the liquor director to the local level, the counties and municipalities. The legislative branch of the government has accomplished this goal in a fashion; yet, the proposed opinion says that was not what was intended and if so, § 46-4-8, 1953 Comp., is unconstitutional, something that was not raised in the lower court. Procedurally, I wonder just what the ruling of this court will be when it is again urged that constitutional questions may be raised for the first time on appeal. The majority having reached a different conclusion, I respectfully dissent.