The Issue Whether the Respondents' alcoholic beverage and tobacco license/permit number 74-00388 is subject to the assessment of a civil penalty, or should be suspended or revoked because of the sale of an alcoholic beverage to a person under the age of twenty-one years?
Findings Of Fact At all times relevant to this proceeding, the Respondents have been the holders of alcoholic beverage license/permit number 74-00388, series 2-COP, for the premises located at 4020 B Nova Road, Port Orange, Florida. At all times relevant to this proceeding, the Respondents were doing business as the Cheese and Specialty Corner (hereinafter referred to as the "Corner"). John T. Grothe is a full-time electrical engineer employed by General Electric. Mr. Grothe helped Oki Grothe, his wife, operate the business after working hours at General Electric and on his days off. Mrs. Grothe was primarily responsible for running the Corner. The Respondents had a policy of not selling alcoholic beverages to anyone under the legal drinking age. On September 4, 1987, Mr. Grothe was working at the Corner. Mr. Grothe was behind the counter near the front of the Corner. Detective Patrick Girvan entered the Corner on September 4, 1987. Detective Girvan was a Port Orange, Florida, police detective at the time but was not wearing his uniform. Shortly after Detective Girvan entered the Corner, Officer Heather Waskiewicz entered the Corner. Officer Waskiewicz was also a Port Orange police officer on September 4, 1987. Officer Waskiewicz was not wearing a uniform. Officer Waskiewicz, upon entering the Corner, went to the left of the Corner to a large wall cooler and began looking at the contents of the cooler. The area of the Corner where Mr. Grothe was located was not busy. Only Officer Waskiewicz, Detective Girvan and another Port Orange police officer who had entered the Corner were in the area where Mr. Grothe was working. There were other customers in another area of the Corner where Mrs. Grothe was working. Mr. Grothe asked Officer Waskiewicz if she needed any help. Officer Waskiewicz indicated that she did not. Officer Waskiewicz selected a sealed bottle labeled Florida Wine Cooler from the cooler and took it to the counter where Mr. Grothe was standing. Officer Waskiewicz paid Mr. Grothe for the Florida Wine Cooler and Mr. Grothe put it into a paper bag. On the label of the Florida Wine Cooler it was indicated that the bottle contained 6 percent alcohol. The first ingredient listed on the label of the bottle was orange wine. At no time did Mr. Grothe ask Officer Waskiewicz her age or ask her for proof of her age. Nor did Officer Waskiewicz make any representation to Mr. Grothe concerning her age. Officer Waskiewicz handed the paper bag with the sealed Florida Wine Cooler in it to Detective Girvan, who had witnessed the sale. Detective Girvan then notified Mr. Grothe that he had sold an alcoholic beverage to a person under the legal drinking age. Criminal charges relating to the sale were brought against Mr. Grothe. Officer Waskiewicz was born on January 11, 1968. On September 4, 1987, Officer Waskiewicz was nineteen years of age. Officer Waskiewicz was wearing black, high-heeled pumps and a black belt, a long-sleeve blouse and a skirt at the time of the sale of the wine cooler by Mr. Grothe. She described her dress as "casual" and as "appropriate for a work environment." Her hair was worn down on one side and in a ponytail on the other side. She wore some makeup. Mr. Grothe believed that Officer Waskiewicz at the time of the sale had the bearing, visage and general appearance of a woman over the age of 21 years. Officer Waskiewicz is sufficiently young enough in appearance, however, even at the age of 20 years, that it could not be concluded conclusively that she was 21 years of age or older. Officer Waskiewicz had never bean in the Corner prior to September 4, 1987, and had never purchased or attempted to purchase alcohol at the Corner prior to the purchase of the Florida Wine Cooler on September 4, 1987. The Corner was closed subsequent to September 4, 1987, and is no longer in operation. The Respondents have not been charged with any other violations relating to their beverage license. The Department has a policy of imposing a $1,000.00 administrative fine and a 20-day suspension of license on licensees for the first offense of selling alcoholic beverages to a minor.
Recommendation Based upon the foregoing Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law, it is RECOMMENDED that the Respondents be found guilty of violating Section 562.11(1)(a), Florida Statutes. It is further RECOMMENDED that the Department suspend the Respondents' alcoholic beverage license for a period of twenty (20) days and impose a civil penalty of $500.00 on the Respondents. DONE and ENTERED this 15th day of November, 1988, in Tallahassee, Florida. LARRY J. SARTIN Hearing Officer Division of Administrative Hearings The Oakland Building 2009 Apalachee Parkway Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1550 (904) 488-9675 Filed with the Clerk of the Division of Administrative Hearings this 15th day of November, 1988. APPENDIX TO RECOMMENDED ORDER, CASE NO. 88-3080 The parties have submitted proposed findings of fact. It has been noted below which proposed findings of fact have been generally accepted and the paragraph number(s) in the Recommended Order where they have been accepted, if any. Those proposed findings of fact which have been rejected and the reason for their rejection have also been noted. The Petitioner's Proposed Findings of Fact Proposed Finding Paragraph Number in Recommended Order of Fact Number of Acceptance or Reason for Rejection 1 1-2. 2 7 and 11-14. The evidence failed to prove that Officer Waskiewicz purchased a "Seagram's Wine Cooler" (it was a Florida Wine Cooler) or that the label on the bottle indicated that the alcohol level was 4 percent (it was 6 percent). 3 11 and 16. 4 6 and 12. Summary of the Respondents' position. See finding of fact 15. See finding of fact 19. The Respondents' Proposed Findings of Fact The Respondents' proposed findings of fact have been accepted in paragraphs 1-5, 9, 11-12, 17 and 19. COPIES FURNISHED: Elizabeth Masters Deputy General Counsel Department of Business Regulation The Johns Building 725 South Bronough Street Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1000 Sylvan A. Wells, Esquire Post Office Box 5307 Daytona Beach, Florida 32018-1307 Leonard Ivey, Director Department of Business Regulation Division of Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco 725 South Bronough Street Tallahassee, Florida 32301-1927 Van B. Poole, Secretary Department of Business Regulation Division of Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco 725 South Bronough Street Tallahassee, Florida 32301-1927 Joseph A. Sole Department of Business Regulation Division of Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco 725 South Bronough Street Tallahassee, Florida 32301-1927
The Issue Whether or not on or about April 3, 1979, Terwell, Inc., d/b/a Nite Gallery II, licensed under the Beverage Law, its servant, agent, or employee, one Rina Norman, did solicit Robert Hutter for the purpose of committing a lewd act, to-wit; fellatio, contrary to Section 796.07, Florida Statutes, and Section 561.29, Florida Statutes. Whether or not on or about April 3, 1979, Terwell, Inc., d/b/a Nite Gallery II, licensed under the Beverage Law, its servant, agent, or employee, one Heather Lovell did commit a lewd act, to-wit; oral copulation on one Steven Lee Hobson, contrary to Section 796.07, Florida Statutes, and Section 561.29, Florida Statutes. Whether or not on or about April 12, 1979, Terwell, Inc., d/b/a Nite Gallery II, licensed under the Beverage Law, its servant, agent, or employee, one Susan Edith Laursen, did commit a lewd act, to-wit; fellatio, on one Norman Eric Williams, contrary to Section 796.07, Florida Statutes, and Section 561.29, Florida Statutes. Whether or not on or about July 20, 1979, Terwell, Inc., d/b/a Mite Gallery II, licensed under the Beverage Law, its servant, agent, or employee, one Connie Nadine Reeves did solicit Beverage Officers F. J. Dunbar and P. M. Roberts for the purposes of prostitution, contrary to Section 796.07, Florida Statutes, and Section 561.29, Florida Statutes.
Findings Of Fact The Respondent in this cause is Terwell, Inc. This corporation is the holder of beverage license No. 58-1134, Series 2-COP, to trade as Nite Gallery II at a business premises located at 1720 Lee Road, Orlando, Florida. This license is held with the Petitioner, State of Florida, Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco, which organization has the responsibility of the licensure and regulation of those several business entities within the State that sell alcoholic beverages. On April 3, 1979, Officer Robert T. Hutter of the Orlando, Florida, Police Department went to the licensed premises at 1720 Lee Road. Officer Hutter was in the company of Police Officer Barrett of the same department. The two officers entered the bar in an undercover capacity and sat down and ordered a beer. After a moment, the officers were approached by a female who was a dancer in the licensed premises. The dancer's name was Rina Norman and in conversation Norman asked the officers if they wanted a "blow job" for $25.00. (This expression pertains to an offer to commit fellatio.) Rina Norman was subsequently arrested by Officer Hutter and was allowed to go to the back of the licensed premises to a dressing room area and to change from her "go go" outfit into street clothes. The suspect, Rina Norman, had also been seen dancing as a performer on the licensed premises prior to her apprehension. On the same evening, April 3, 1979, Officer Barrett had been contacted by two females in the licensed premises and from his encounter with those individuals determined to arrest them for assignation to commit prostitution or lewdness. The officer went outside briefly and then reentered the licensed premises to look for the two suspect females. One of the areas which he examined in his search for the suspects was an area in which there are two booths with curtains across the front opening of the cubicles. These booths are located down a hall leading to the female dancers' dressing room area which is on the west side of the bar. In looking in one of the booths, Officer Barrett pulled hack the curtain and found a woman identified as Heather Lovell committing an act of fellatio on a man who was in the booth with her. Lovell was-wearing a "go go" costume at the time she was seen involved in this activity. She was placed under arrest and went to the dressing room area to put on street clothes after the arrest was effected. The dressing room area which Lovell used was the same area used by Rina Norman. Lovell had also been seen by Officer Barrett in the licensed premises at an earlier time on the evening of April 3, 1979. Officers Hutter and Barrett went back to the licensed premises in the company of Beverage Officers Wallace and Boyd on April 12, 1979. At that time, Officer Hutter went to the booth area spoken of before to investigate for lewd acts. When Officer Butter pulled back the curtain to one of the booths, he observed Susan Laursen performing fellatio on a man located in the booth with her. Laursen and the man were arrested and Laursen went back to the dressing room area mentioned before to change into her street clothes. Beverage Officers Dunbar and Boyd returned to the licensed premises on July 20, 1979, at around 11:35 p.m. for the purpose of investigating alleged prostitution which was occurring in the licensed premises. The two officers seated themselves inside the bar area and they were approached by Connie Nadine Reeves, who sat by them and asked them if they would like to have a private party in the back, which would include nude dancing and a "blow job", meaning fellatio. Officer Dunbar asked if this entertainment was free and Reeves replied that, "No, the 'blow job' (fellatio) is $25.00 and dancing is $10.00." Beverage Officer Roberts had not heard this overture from Reeves and Dunbar asked Reeves to repeat her statements, which she did. Roberts then went with Reeves to the back part of the area of the hallway and the two booths which have been mentioned before. Beverage Officer Dunbar went outside to pain the assistance of the other Beverage Officer and the local police officers for purposes of effecting an arrest of Connie Nadine Reeves. Roberts followed Reeves down the hallway and into one of the booths. Reeves had motioned Roberts to follow her to this location. Reeves repeated the statement that it would cost $25.00 for a "blow job" (fellatio) and Roberts gave her $30.00 and she replied that she would keep $5.00 for a tip. Roberts seated himself on a chair in the room and Reeves told him to "Go ahead and pull it out" and he replied that he was not turned on and that she should dance. Reeves took her clothes off and danced for a few moments and then there was some problem with the music and she yelled out of the room for someone to get the jukebox working. This problem with the jukebox occurred a couple of times. At this point, Roberts arrested Reeves for violation of Section 796.07, Florida Statutes, pertaining to lewd acts. In the interim, Beverage Officer Dunbar and the other law enforcement officers had entered or reentered the licensed premises and attempted to go up the hallway to the booth area and were confronted by a number of females in "go go" attire who tried to keep them from going into that area and in doing so stated that the area was private and was to be used by employees only, referring to the area of the booths. Officer Dunbar went back to the booth where Roberts had made his arrest and at this point Reeves was protesting her arrest and acting belligerent. Dunbar left that location and met Beverage Officer Wallace, who was talking to Ron Wells, a corporate officer of the Respondent. Wells was asked to go with Dunbar to try to convince Reeves to accompany the officers without further incident. The officers asked Wells if Reeves were his employee and Wells responded that she was. Wells was then told by Dunbar to straighten her out, meaning that if she did not get dressed they would take her into custody without clothing. Wells then talked to Reeves and she left and went to the dressing room mentioned before in this case and dressed herself. Reeves also stated that she was an employee at the licensed premises.
Recommendation It is, therefore, RECOMMENDED that the beverage license of the Respondent, Terwell, Inc., No. 58-1134, Series 2-COP, which allows the Respondent to trade as Nite Gallery II in a business premises located at 1720 Lee Road, Orlando, Florida, be REVOKED. DONE AND ENTERED this 10th day of March, 1980, in Tallahassee, Florida. CHARLES C. ADAMS, Hearing Officer Division of Administrative Hearings Room 101, Collins Building Tallahassee, Florida 32301 (904) 488-9675
