Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1946 )

OFFICE OF7’HE ATTORNEY GENERALOF==AG AUOTIN ; Si&&bia B&t Boru, AkwlalmtMfor texoo Liquor Caatrol Board Aaot$n, Texao beoy Mr. wed, 0piu1ou wo. O-7139 .', ROC methw Or not 8 olub operated midsr. the deoodbed oemiltl~a ’ oonoti~teestheaperotloaar 08 .o p ea o o lo o 88 l . You Mqueot oar opinion upon the lboTe48ptiened mb- jest mtter, yoopr letter bainB 88 followo: llr111 pa plo8oe gzro~80 your rollled 0piniolJ lo’to whother or not 8 plea+ qeroted in the wn- ner indlootad belo=, rhoro llsohollo bevwqes are oervoU, 0080titak the oparotioa of an opsa o8looi..’ ..: .Tbe Son Antan Club, a oor~rotion dnly ib- oorpwokd uudor the 18~0 of tbo State ot Texas, lo ~.the 108000 of rpproxiut*l~ lS00 aqwre teat of opow losated on fho third iloor of the Bunter Betel. 8Thio opooe 8~s leased to the Ban Anton19 Club tar a padoU ot fire pmrcl ot an onsuol rwtn1 of $6,ooo.00 per year* Tbo promises were Jeowd for o o o u p we y se l prirote oleb ond the leooee agreed to 011 publie jswo pertdnina to tho operrtlon ot prlroto sfubor %m dub three roa!mm:l r ea diugroom, eorprlmeo 8 a lub r o o m, la d8 @sting roam- TM olub is otrtred wit+ strr8rds vbo lro respsmoible tOr the geaarrl ap- Mop at tho olub: and these two afe*ox%Xo ore hired by md their wlwiss are paid by the San Antonio Club. Ottldoro at the olub and meatbareof the olub do sot reo~lv*~mj etmpaa8mtlon. .l’im t&odor Dots1 oorViOe# the dimiag r0m 8nd mlatoina waiters tor both the lrmohwm ond disnor. .Ilkoiibli Bert Ford - page a Wae olub ammboro pay the betel regular room wnioa pHaos, 108s far per aeut diwotmt ?or toad . %IO betel -item do not hire 000055 ta the ahb room or the modlag room* Tholr aotlritleo . being oonf%mU 8trioUy to the dining rooms 5There lo a oomloe bar ia the olub room tor 'diopentig mired drlako only to members aed their - goort.8. .TFIo bor lo operoted.rmder rhat is kuorn 80 Sbo bar pa01 plan- &rob at the uremfy-tire alyb membersbo+e ou depodt In 8 mepamfe fuud )ag*m eoob, wbiab aokow 0 total ot $I878~00~ Tbls mmey hoi been poolod tog&her to prrahsao liquor tor fbeir pormu51 uw* Wwahoms ot~liqunr far the Olub ie aado bf the treasurer Worn the bolder ot a Retail Pa&age Store Permit. 'Ia rithWW&g liquor at tbo bar from this pool, eaeb nmboc uses a ooupaa Eook. Each soupon mtltl.sn the member fo one drluk. 'All liquor purohnsed tar the alub ir pfoosd on the baok bar or is stared in a small room be- hind tbe bar. *Club members obtain 00up0m book8 from the atewords- lAt tbe~ end ot eoob mmtb the oltlbmember lo billed tor the atoaber at soupan boots he boo bean iwuod. there are no guert amdo SW tbo Ban Auafenio Club, ana no nw-wmbor 10 ollorod la tbo Olub room uule+o bo 1s a pemt ot 8 member. Ho @tmst 6aa ob- toia drinks from the bar, lm.'O member may 58rVe his or her guoof 8 drink, u5ing bin or her aoupon. Xo money at ury tIma ohmgee bonds ia the olab meme ,Smorable ,BertWord - pmge g ? ll. go Iodloo pordttmd b & or0 8 p* I* '2. lo aaaaoortsd lodiom peralttod~ot any tiw . "3. ilembers required to lir%t tbblr ~mmto co tour -- It more~#oout8ot tBe bar regardlug omnlmm bstorm errWing rfth the gtammt?. e4. lo gambling rltb gu66ts at mar tin. 56. lo p o k er l1Jomod. -6. Club opmn tra 11 aa. to 12 ridmight. ?T. go llot fmaohinmm or mlokelodmonm per- rifted mn the prmalsmm. 'R. go fmng dlmtmnme pbmnm 66116 or mlras permtlffeu trw bmumaphmnmm. *9. no members or guemfm aXlowed behind the hrr. ‘19. Rwbero ewn~t mix tboir om drink@. 911. Ito mmmber mhall bo permitted the pF3ri- lmge at bringing the mamm ruoidenf gnealc ottwor than mnom a reek. '12. Lwiukm oannot be mmmod to anyone other &ham8 member, unls 88 8~0mpanisU by 0 member. l13. Wwber8 8re uO+ pemaltted f8 bring their wu llqaor. '1 timh to aall to ymur atfwtlaa the follo~lag proridmnm ot tbm Tsxam tlqaor Cmntrml Aat! l'gmotioa 8, (a) ot Artlole 1. fha terim .opon mlocm* ~5 urned In tbls Aot, maate my Flame rh9rm on7 lloobolio bmvmr8go wh8tbvOC, msnutoetured in rbole or lo port by moono ot the prmooo5 Ot dimfil- yotiw, or mulj liquor mO5Jpom#d or oorpe~aed in wrt Of dimtilled &ritE# 16 mold or offered tOr ~8x0 6.24 RyOrOhlm EOrt Ford - p8gO 4 tar beremge purpomam by the drink or In brekea or unsealed oonfalnor5~ or any plaoe where any mab liquors are mold or otfered tor sale for blnaan oon- sumption on the premises mhere sold. "Smofl6~1 3, (b) of Artialm 1. It shall be un- lawtul. for any permon~ rhetber an prlnaipalr 8gmt, or eaplojeer to operate or l6610t In oper8flng, or tb bo direotly or lndlre6tly inforemfmd ia the oper- ation ot any open maloan In tblm State.** *I al50 wish to a811 fo your attention Op3ni'on lo. O-1146 Ppp``Oa by the Attorney Qaner81'6 De- partment OD August 28, 1939. It la the oonteutiw oP the Son Anton10 Club WI+. Attorney 6mner0l's Opin- ion loa O-1146 doom not cover tbim sltuatlon~ ?bm San Antmio Club tarther OOntwd6 that the manner In rbicb it O~r~Ifes dOem not TiOlate SOOtiOn 3, to) at Arfiale 1. ~pplentmnfing this latter, you further rdvlw u5 as tOi1 016: 'In mupplmmmnting 613 letter nt Harab 0, 1946, re- questing an opinion mn the operation of the San Antonio Club, 8 eorporotlon duly fncorporatad under the low6 ot the StOte Of rOX86, tb16 olub O~l'OtO6 41 a ~OU’FOD 676- tern whereby a member may smoure a ooupmn book ooutaln- lug tmmnty (20) m~uponm~ oi wbiab each coupoi la worth tlfty amntm ($.nO) each makinK the aouptu~book 005t a total ot No.00. 'In eamh inStan Of WhOrO a member purobarnorn0 drink ot whiskey, mixed or OthO~ieer It 15 n600668rj that the number and the olub mtemard 6Ountormign 686b coupon. Ikob drink ot whimkoy, either mixed or other- wiSe# h86 8 006f Ot tifty 0Ot2fS t$.60) regard1665 Ot the typm drink purahatiad. @The club member do06 not pay for hi6 OOUpa books t111tl1the ad ot the month, at whiob time the smorekrr b,1116 him tor the aumlmr of OOUpOn books th8t he h58 re- oaired during the m6nt.b. ‘The treasurer of the &In Antonfo Club purobares a11 liquors to be used by the elob and pammnt for those liquors is III8aO tram the f’Umdsp rhjch were orip inally met up 85 explained in my pretious Ystter. 625 lmar8ble Bert Ford - page 6 sYoueya derived from the aale o? eoatpc*,books la plaoed la the fuud at the end of e8oh mouth.* In Opinion No. 0-llrlg, a Cop9 of rhich is lttaohed hereto, thisdepartsant held that tbe liquor operatloua of the Souaton Couutry Club aa set forth in that opiniou, oouatl- tuted the epar8tioa of 8n *open aaloon`` fn this Opin3on, we ahall not review a11 of the authorities neutioned in that opln- ion, but ah811 uerely quota uora fully aoue of the autbbrities . mentioned and ap919 the rules am&mood ia that opinion to the iaots oouoetnlug the liquor oper~tlona Of the Ban Anfw-to Club as wlmltted by you. geotiou 3(a) of the Texas Liquor Control Aot reads as lollo*ar lgeoti5u 3(a) of Artiale I. The teru ‘open SC~OOU' as used in this Aetr momma au9 plaoo where au1 alboholio beroraga rhrte+er, mauu?aotured In whole or 3x1part by means ai the prooesa of dletlllatioa~ or any liquor eonpoaed or ooapotmded in &mrt of distilled Ilplrita, is aold or offered for sale lor bet- erage 9urpoaes by the drink or in broken or uuaealed aontainerar or any p~aoe where au9 SUOIIliquors are aald or offered far sale ?or hmau ocuatnaptloc on ths 9remiaea where sold." l&r@+or Tr gtate, '11 3. x. m -.- (Court of Cria&al Ap peals), holdsI- -The queatlon here is vhether the sale of fntoxioante by tha mana@ng steward or barkeep- er a? the olnh to one of the naabera of aaid olub ia a sale. la are of the oplniOn that it is. vheu the iutoxioauta IOM bought by the steward, or 8ny other meabar oi the aluh, rltb the ftmda of the olub, they bearrca the property of the oorprwatiou, aud a sale by the atelard at said oorporatiou to aav of Its members Was 8 aale, aa that term is defined. It uaa the aeparatim of the property of the olub, and the tranmfer of the nam3 to RU indirldnal umber, for rhioh he either paid the Oaah, or beoame re- spoaaible t?lerafor. . . . Thla Is not a o&se where parties ooatribuk amma of mmef and pm- ohaae intoxlaan ta thererith, and divide thm 626 ’ Iiouorable Bert Ford - page 6 . pra rak anwmg themaalrea~ but It is a tranr aotian 8bare the 0olp1p114assets of a aantinu4ng baaineaa are Qaed to replenish the gmda sold la that business. l . 4' 145 8. E. e Ad&a?& L. Stata, -- (CfiUrt Oi CrbdQal. Appeal a), bolder *Z’he questions preaanted for our conddera- t3on are but two2 l?id the tranna~atfon eanrtltute a aale rithia the waning o? our la8a, and, . l . . The eridea6e shows that the ineerporafed alub pnr- ohaaed liquors in bulk with money la the traaau~, lnd sold or dispensed the liquors to ifs membersat the aaual or custom&r7 prioe. This wi thlak ooQ- ltltQtaa a aale under all the rules of law. If lQT g%ren number of peraona organl*e an ~aooalatiom m- der 8Qy name whatsoever with the underatandfng and agreement that ouoh goods 81-ato be diapsa#ed to the members in auoh quantities 80 each a87 desire at. the uwal and customary price, t.he member paflnp mil7 for auoh quantity an he rboe3ver. such tranasotiou aamatitutea a sale by the aasoci8W?n to the member." *Ia an7 erentr aaoordlnE to our vi&, .the alub members, R\ert they paid thsir Qonay into the tresa- ury, pm-tea r3.t.hit to the aorporatioQ, t.be am-pot-a- tian beeowing tha owner thereof; and rhan the aor- paratlon rent aQt thfs Qom~ it bought the bear QQ Its own I?ebalf GI Pt. Fartht crnd If ate say time tbe oorwratim had faJIad ,and beoo%e aubJeot to axeou- tion, the beer and property af t’ha oan!e acmld hate lvea~ .aOised for tha debts of’ alOh cnrpfvat~an- . * .” While a11 of the riel~ations In the eases mantltmed in 0p¶nion HO* O-1146 and above oaourrad In dry .areas, We bal~ave that the o?#eratlcm nf SQl oysn aalotmm’, as th8t term is deflned above is prabibitad in *wet areas* aa well as 'dry areas' of this state. Wrj have aareiull~ considered the taata ntated by fout and be& to adrlsa it IS tha apinlcm of t-h38 dapartmaut the faOt8 thus atrtefi, if introduoed Ia erldauoe, 8oul.d be auffiaient prima 627 ~aorable Bert Ford - p8ge 9 iaoie to authorire the ~bplrlsalan of the oase to a jury, if one uere damu!d.ed, or to a81Y for 8 deeidon upon the merits br the oourt fn the lb sa no e of a jury, but that suoh faota would not by any mema be oonaluslre one ray or the other. la other words, a trial court hearinK Jaoh oaae, where the pertinent faota would in all probability aama from the teatl- son7 Of Interested Witnesses, Would not be juatffied in with- drawlnr: the brae from a Juq and doaiding it as a matter of law, llnoe there roald be iuTOlTOd wah f8ot netters us oredl- bllity a? *itneaseat weight of the tentimnmy, lnfersnoea and deduotioria from the faots proven, md in abort, Oiroumatfmtid evidence from w?$ch a Jury etmld properly find tbnt an opm -loon was being operated ID tlolation of law. The reoent case a? atate f. AhheltTJoanServioe & a& z 8. E. (2) 116 is very muOh ia point rlth mypeat to what ue hare just sald. There the trial aourt gave an lnatruated ver- dict for the dotandant T,oan Barvlae Ir! a,n lnjunation wit under the Oeury Aot, where the cviflonoe offered hy the State w&a oir- auaratmtia3, Involving rer7 altilar iafmen to t?wse inrolred in Tour inquiry. To are not, of ooureebr deeldlnff tbe oase aa Batter of Iar one ray or tb.e other. We are merely hOld%E$ that auob Wi- denoe would make a prima faeie oaae from Thioh a JQW migt properly find for the State , and auoh finding, lo thlnlr, vould he supported by the Oourts. Very truly ~Oura OS-aln ihaloaure