Violating state liquor license laws in New York is a serious crime. Liquor license laws are in place to protect everyone, and that’s why they are taken so seriously. The laws protect minors from being able to go into a public establishment and purchase and consume alcohol. It protects drivers from being on the road with other drivers who are impaired and more likely to cause an accident because they had too much to drink, and they are designed to protect the business owners who do serve alcohol or sell it at their place of business.
If an allegation is made against your business that you’re not using your liquor license properly, it’s a devastating situation. It can cause serious problems in your life, and it can mean your business faces fines, penalties, and even closure or loss of your license. If you are accused of using your liquor license incorrectly, you must know how to handle the situation as quickly and efficiently as possible.
How Violations Work
New York State law uses various methods of punishment when someone violates a liquor license law. If this is the first time your business is accused of misusing this license or engaging in illegal practice with the sale or service of alcohol, you might face a fine and a slap on the wrist. The state is very fair with punishment because lawmakers recognize it’s not always easy to know what’s going on or whether something is amiss.
If this is your situation
Stop reading. Start defending.
For example, you could be accused of selling liquor to a minor because you have a new employee who wants to impress some girls who aren’t quite of age. You might have a situation in which an underage person came into your establishment and used a good fake ID to have service. You don’t know these things are happening, and sometimes it’s nothing more than misrepresentation. You probably walk away with a sanction and a fine and a warning to never let this happen again.
If you are a repeat offender, the punishments get worse with each accusation. Some business owners continue to do business incorrectly and abuse their liquor license, and they will pay when this happens. Each time they violate a law the punishment is worse, and it also depends on what the violation and accusation consist of. There are some instances in which a business does something so many times or so bad that the state simply revokes their license and no longer permits the establishment to carry a liquor license.
New York / Queens / NYC / Brooklyn / Bronx / Long Island Liquor Violations Lawyers
If your business is accused of violating state liquor license laws, it’s time for you to call an attorney and learn your rights. As a business owner, you have rights you can enact to protect yourself. You can work on a defense if you were unaware what was going on in your business because someone made a mistake or did not do their job correctly. There are options for you, but you must know what they are as well as how to use them to your advantage.
An attorney can help you minimize fines, protect your license, and make the correct decisions in the future. Your attorney is here to read the accusations, understand what they mean, and explain to you what happened. The legal jargon used when there is an accusation made is often difficult to understand by those who don’t work in any area of the law, and that’s why attorneys are so important.
Let your attorney file a response and handle this situation from start to finish. You might need to go into your business and do some housekeeping to ensure this doesn’t happen again, and it’s easier for you to handle this situation when your attorney is dealing with the legalities. An attorney is here for you, and you should call one right away if you are accused of misuse of your state liquor license.