255 Morris, LLC v. Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission , 93 N.E.3d 1149 ( 2018 )

FILED
Feb 20 2018, 7:51 am
CLERK
Indiana Supreme Court
Court of Appeals
and Tax Court
ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLANTS ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE
Ralph W. Staples, Jr. Curtis T. Hill, Jr.
Indianapolis, Indiana Attorney General of Indiana
Matthew M. Kubacki Andrea E. Rahman
Indianapolis, Indiana Deputy Attorney General
Indianapolis, Indiana
IN THE
COURT OF APPEALS OF INDIANA
255 Morris, LLC, et al., February 20, 2018
Appellants-Petitioners, Court of Appeals Case No.
49A02-1701-MI-193
v. Appeal from the Marion Superior
Court
Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco The Honorable James A. Joven,
Commission, Judge
Appellee-Respondent. Trial Court Cause No.
49D13-1604-MI-13760
Riley, Judge.
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STATEMENT OF THE CASE
[1] Appellants-Petitioners, 255 Morris LLC d/b/a Lenny’s Gentlemen’s Club, and
Jeffrey Moe (Moe) (collectively, Appellants), appeal the trial court’s denial of
their petition for judicial review of the Appellee-Respondent, Indiana Alcohol
and Tobacco Commission’s (Commission), decision denying Moe’s renewal of
a liquor license.
[2] We affirm.
ISSUE
[3] Appellants present us with one issue on appeal, which we restate as: Whether
substantial evidence supported the Commission’s decision to deny a renewal of
Moe’s license because the licensed premises had become a public nuisance
pursuant to 905 IAC 1-27-2.
FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY
[4] In February 2012, Moe purchased the real property located at 255 West Morris
Street in Indianapolis, Indiana. Located on the property was Lenny’s
Gentlemen’s Club (Lenny’s), a “Tavern operating as an Adult Cabaret,” which
had operated at that venue for at least forty years. (Appellant’s Amended App.
Vol. II, p. 133). Although Moe had initially purchased the property as an
investment opportunity, approximately one month later, Moe incorporated 255
Morris, LLC and “took over operations [at Lenny’s] when he saw there were
illegal activities.” (Appellant’s Amended App. Vol. II, p. 133). In late 2014 or
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early 2015, Moe applied for renewal of Lenny’s permit to serve beer, wine, and
liquor.
[5] On March 16, 2015, the Alcoholic Beverage Board of Marion County (Local
Board) conducted a hearing on Moe’s request for renewal. During the hearing,
Moe presented evidence that since he took over Lenny’s, he has added more
than fifty security cameras and hired security personnel to secure the premises.
After instituting a “zero tolerance policy on drugs,” he barred “over fifty
customers” and now searches the bags of every dancer and bartender.
(Appellant’s Amended App. Vol. II, p. 155). He testified that after purchasing
Lenny’s, he reached out to the local Pastor and attended neighborhood
meetings. Several remonstrators to the request for renewal appeared at the
hearing and presented evidence in opposition. As part of their evidence, a
video recording was introduced, showing people loitering and drinking in the
parking lot outside the establishment in the early hours of the morning, public
urination, a person firing a weapon in the air, and bullet holes in the back of a
neighbor’s garage. Officer David Hoffman, the District Commander of the
Southwest District (Officer Hoffman), stated that while Moe’s “investment in
security and in personnel [is] admirable, it is still spilling out into the
neighborhood.” (Appellant’s Amended App. Vol. II, p. 176). Characterizing
Lenny’s as “a hot spot for sure[,]” the officer concluded that the “business, the
way it’s effecting [sic] the neighborhood right now is very negative.”
(Appellant’s Amended App. Vol. II, p. 177). At the conclusion of the hearing,
the Local Board denied the renewal of the permit. Moe appealed the decision.
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[6] On October 22, 2015, the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission conducted a
hearing on Moe’s appeal of the Local Board’s decision. During the hearing,
Moe presented evidence that there had been no police runs to Lenny’s in the
past six months. He explained that he had fired security guards for
“fraternization with the independent contract dancers” and had hired new
security guards who escort all patrons leaving the premises to their vehicles to
ensure there is no loitering in the parking lot. (Appellant’s Amended App. Vol.
IV, p. 22). Officer William Carter, the nuisance abatement sergeant for
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police District (Officer Carter), affirmed that after a
spike in numbers for police runs in 2013, the numbers decreased “dramatically”
in 2014 and continued this trend in 2015. (Appellant’s Amended App. Vol. IV,
p. 54). However, Officer Carter cautioned that while the number of police runs
trended downwards, it is the “seriousness of the runs” that should be taken into
account—“[s]hots fired, [d]isturbance, [t]hings like that.” (Appellant’s
Amended App. Vol. IV, p. 58). Again, several remonstrators presented
evidence opposing the renewal of Lenny’s license. A video recording was
admitted, establishing people loitering in the parking lot after 3:00 a.m., public
urination, an intoxicated woman being carried from Lenny’s by two men, and a
girl throwing her drink at another man. A remonstrator testified about “a
photoshoot out there in the parking lot one night. Dancers coming out of the
bar, going out there, . . . and they would take turns posing, pushing their boobs
up, showing their ass, stuff like that.” (Appellant’s Amended App. Vol. IV, p.
87). Empty alcohol containers and condom wrappers were found on the
ground on the licensed premises and in neighboring yards.
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[7] On February 5, 2016, the hearing officer issued his findings of fact, conclusions
of law, and order denying the permit renewal, based on, in pertinent part,
“conduct in the parking lot of [Lenny’s] which not only may constitute what
could be considered a public nuisance, but also threatens the health, peace, and
morals of the citizens of the state[.]” (Appellant’s Amended App. Vol. III, p.
41). The Commission adopted the findings on April 19, 2016. That same day,
the excise police served a revocation order, but this court issued a stay of the
revocation. On April 19, 2016, Moe filed a petition for judicial review with the
trial court. On December 29, 2016, the trial court affirmed the Commission’s
decision, concluding, in relevant part, that 905 Ind. Administrative Code 1-27-2
properly defined what constitutes a public nuisance: a licensed premises
becomes a public nuisance when “conduct prohibited by the Indiana Penal
Code takes place.” (Appellee’s App. Vol. II, p. 105). Finding that the evidence
in the record provided substantial evidence that violations of the Indiana
criminal code occurred at Lenny’s and that the Commission’s decision was not
arbitrary or capricious, the trial court affirmed the denial of Moe’s permit
renewal application.
[8] Moe now appeals. Additional facts will be provided as necessary.
DISCUSSION AND DECISION
I. Standard of Review
[9] While the legislature has granted courts the power to review the action of state
government agencies taken pursuant to the Administrative Orders and
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Procedures Act, this power of review is limited. Ind. Alcohol and Tobacco Com’n
v. Lebamoff Enterprises, Inc., 27 N.E.3d 802, 806 (Ind. Ct. App. 2015). A court
may only set aside agency action that is:
(1) Arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, or otherwise not
in accordance with law;
(2) Contrary to constitutional right, power, privilege, or
immunity;
(3) In excess of statutory jurisdiction, authority, or limitations, or
short of statutory right;
(4) Without observance of procedure required by law; or
(5) Unsupported by substantial evidence.
See I.C. § 4-21.5-5-14(d). An arbitrary and capricious decision is one which is
“patently unreasonable and made without consideration of the facts and in total
disregard of the circumstances and lacks any basis which might lead a
reasonable person to the same conclusion.” Peru City Police Dept. v. Martin, 994
N.E.2d 1201, 1204 (Ind. Ct. App. 2013), trans. denied. “In determining whether
an administrative decision is supported by substantial evidence, the trial court
must examine the whole record to determine whether the agency’s decision
lacks a reasonably sound basis of evidentiary support.” Ind. Alcoholic Beverage
Comm’n v. River Rd Lounge, Inc., 590 N.E.2d 656, 658 (Ind. Ct. App. 1992),
trans. denied. “The party seeking judicial review bears the burden to
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demonstrate that the agency’s action is invalid.” Pendleton v. McCarty, 747
N.E.2d 56, 61 (Ind. Ct. App. 2001), trans. denied.
[10] A review of an administrative agency’s decision at the trial court level “is not
intended to be a trial de novo, but rather the court simply analyzes the record as
a whole to determine whether the administrative findings are supported by
substantial evidence.” Whirlpool Corp. v. Vanderburgh Cnty-City of Evansville
Human Relations Comm’n, 875 N.E.2d 751, 759 (Ind. Ct. App. 2007). A party
may appeal a trial court’s determination of the propriety of the administrative
agency’s decision pursuant to the rules governing civil appeals. See I.C. § 4-
21.5-5-16. “When reviewing an administrative agency’s decision, appellate
courts stand in the same position as the trial court.” Pendleton, 747 N.E.2d at
61.
[11] An appellate court “may not substitute [its] judgment on factual matters for that
of the agency and are bound by the agency’s findings of fact if [the findings] are
supported by substantial evidence.” Whirlpool, 875 N.E.2d at 759. Courts that
review administrative determinations, at both the trial and appellate level,
review the record in the light most favorable to the administrative proceedings
and are prohibited from reweighing the evidence or judging the credibility of
witnesses. Id. While reviewing courts must accept the agency’s findings of fact
if supported by substantial evidence, no such deference need be accorded an
agency’s conclusions of law, as the law is the province of the judiciary. Id.However, “[a]n interpretation of a statute by an administrative agency charged
with the duty of enforcing the statute is entitled to great weight, unless this
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interpretation would be inconsistent with the statute itself.” LTV Steel Co. v.
Griffin, 730 N.E.2d 1251, 1257 (Ind. 2000).
II. Analysis
[12] Moe contends that the Commission’s decision to declare Lenny’s a public
nuisance was arbitrary and capricious, and unsupported by substantial
evidence. In reaching its conclusion, the Commission relied on 905 IAC 1-27-
2, which states:
If a licensed premises becomes a public nuisance, or the licensed
premises becomes the scene of acts or conduct which are
prohibited by the Indiana Penal Code ([I.C. §] 35-41-1-1 et seq.)
or by the criminal laws of the United States, the premises shall be
subject to the sanctions specified in [I.C. §] 7.1-2-6-1 through
[I.C. §] 7.1-2-6-14.
The Commission, as affirmed by the trial court, interpreted
A ‘public nuisance’ for purposes of reviewing [Moe’s] permit
renewal application, can mean a licensed premises (like Lenny’s)
where conduct prohibited by the Indiana Penal Code takes place.
Indeed, the portions of the hearing officer’s conclusion of law
and order discussing ‘public nuisance’ and denying [Moe’s]
application demonstrate the proper application of law. For
example, the hearing officer concluded: “In determining whether
to renew a permit, the Commission may consider whether the
applicant has allowed the premises to become a public nuisance,
or the scene of acts prohibited by the Indiana Penal Code.”
Moreover, the hearing officer recognized “a shared quality
between criminal acts and what [the Indiana Administrative
Code] refers to as a “public nuisance.” The Commission applied
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a correct definition of ‘public nuisance’ when denying [Moe’s]
permit renewal application.
(Appellee’s App. Vol. II, p. 104) (internal references to citations omitted).
[13] Reading a knowledge requirement into the statute and claiming that the
“permittee must have some knowledge of the illegal behavior and allowed the
illegal behavior to continue,” Moe focuses this court’s attention on our decision
in Ind. Alcohol Beverage Com’n v. River Road Lounge, Inc., 590 N.E.2d 656, 658
(Ind. Ct. App. 1992), trans denied. While we agree with Moe’s reading of River
Road Lounge, we hasten to point out that River Road Lounge, decided in 1992,
was based on an earlier definition of public nuisance under 905 IAC 1-27-2,
which stated: “The permittee allows the licensed premises to become a public
nuisance or to become the scene of acts or conduct prohibited by the laws of the
United States or Indiana.” See id (citing 905 IAC 1-27-2). On December 2,
2001, the rule was readopted with amendments that struck the phrase,
“permittee or applicant for a permit allows.” See 25 Ind. Reg. 1351 (Jan. 1,
2002). Accordingly, the provision deleted the requirement that “the permittees
[] have direct or indirect knowledge” in exchange for acts or conduct that
violate Indiana criminal law. See id. Therefore, the relevant issue becomes
whether there is substantial evidence that there is illicit behavior occurring on
Lenny’s premises, regardless of whether Moe acquiesced to this behavior. We
find there is.
[14] Indiana’s criminal code defines recklessness as “a person who recklessly,
knowingly, or intentionally performs an act that creates a substantial risk of
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bodily injury to another person.” I.C. § 35-42-2-2. The record supports
evidence that a person fired a weapon in the air at Lenny’s parking lot and the
back of the neighbor’s garage, adjacent to Lenny’s parking lot, is riddled with
bullet holes. See Woods v. State, 768 N.E.2d 1024, 1027-28 (Ind. Ct. App. 2002)
(firing several gun shots in a residential area supported a charge for criminal
recklessness). Likewise, the evidence establishes several incidences of public
nudity, which is defined, in part, as “the showing of the human or female
genitals, pubic area, or buttocks.” See I.C. § 35-45-4-1(d). Remonstrators
testified to several instances of men urinating outside Lenny’s at different times,
and a woman who “drops her drawers” to go to the bathroom. (Appellant’s
Amended App. Vol. II, p. 168). Furthermore, disorderly conduct, a Class B
misdemeanor, is defined as a “person who recklessly, knowingly, or
intentionally . . .engages in fighting or in tumultuous conduct.” I.C. § 35-45-1-
3(a). Testimony establishes that there are assaults in the parking lot, an
intoxicated woman was being carried by two men, and a girl threw her drink at
another person.
[15] In response to the charges brought by the remonstrators, Moe counters that
over the years he has made a serious investment in improving Lenny’s and
preventing illegal behavior. He emphasized several affirmative steps, including:
adding about fifty security cameras, security searches of patrons and employees
for drugs and weapons, barring patrons for illegal activity, and reducing
operating hours in response to neighborhood concerns. However, these steps
were taken shortly after Moe procured Lenny’s in 2012 and did not prevent the
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illegal behavior documented by the remonstrators in 2015. While we do not
doubt Moe’s commitment, we also note the testimony of Officer Hoffman who
stated that even though Moe’s “investment in security and personnel [is]
admirable, it is still spilling out into the neighborhood” and is affecting the
neighborhood in a “very negative” way. (Appellant’s Amended App. Vol. II,
pp. 176, 177). Whereas the number of police runs to Lenny’s have decreased
“dramatically” in 2014, and continued that trend in 2015, the “seriousness of
the runs” has not altered. (Appellant’s Amended App. Vol. IV, pp. 54, 58).
Therefore, viewing the evidence in favor of the Commission’s decision, we
cannot say that the Commission’s conclusion that Lenny’s constituted a public
nuisance was arbitrary or capricious. See May v. Dep’t of Natural Res., 565
N.E.2d 367, 373 (Ind. Ct. App. 1991) (“[O]nly evidence supporting the
agency’s stated reasons can be considered, as those are the grounds on which
the decision was made”). Therefore, we affirm the Commission’s denial of
Moe’s request for permit renewal.
CONCLUSION
[16] Based on the foregoing, we conclude that substantial evidence supported the
Commission’s decision to deny Moe’s license because the licensed premises had
become a public nuisance.
[17] Affirmed.
[18] Baker, J. and Brown, J. concur
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