So, El Tequila in Halls had their beer license revoked today. They lost the beer license (suspension) for 90 days earlier in the year, over similar allegations. Then people could BYOB (bring your own beer) during that 90 day period, wonder if they still can?
Watching it on CTV was frustrating, it started at 3 pm, ended before 6 pm. CTV at 4 pm went to a Young Williams Animal Center feature, eventually came back. Left again at 5 pm, to show Knoxville City Beer Board dispense with 10 applications in 15 minutes to come back to the hearing. They concluded before City Council began at 6 pm.
The hearing was billed as a Due Process Hearing (it is what the Meeting Notice said) today Law Director David Buuck kept calling it an administrative hearing.
No Knox County Sheriffs Deputies that wrote the incident reports or were witnesses to anything at El Tequila were present to testify. Knoxville Attorney T. Scott Jones (representing El Tequila and their owners) said during the hearing, that the law department said they had no process to do subpoena Officers to testify. Lt. Walker who authored the summaries of incident reports on cross examination by Attorney T Scott Jones admitted to clerical errors in assembling and creating the documents that were entered into evidence. Walker also admitted that one report was not written by an officer until the officer returned from vacation.
El Tequila has never been cited for underage sale or for over serving anyone. All disputes that KCSO has investigated, both parties have agreed NOT to file charges. Commission Madam Chair Courtney Durrett asked if any under age stings had been performed at El Tequila, Lt. Walker said the department did not have an hispanic individual that they could use for an under age sale attempts.
County Commissioner Carson Dailey after engaging in questioning of the African American Security (bouncer) Chief of El Tequila said, I believe you. With an unstated inference in not believing the hispanic owners and management. The Security Chief asked Dailey why don’t you believe us, why are you targeting us. Dailey didn’t answer.
My understanding is no court reporter was present at the hearing. It is unclear if a complete recording exists, with CTV going in and out of the live stream. If neither of those exist, there is no official court record of todays hearing to submit to Chancery Court on appeal. What the court could/would do is a flip of the coin.
In arguments, Attorney Jones said he felt like Don Quixote. Jones even made a reference to a kangaroo court and said it is as if they all knew what they were going to do when they walked in.
Commissioner Rhonda Lee (an Attorney) who represents the Halls area on Commission made a motion to revoke the county beer license, Commissioner Dailey seconded it, the six other Commissioners present voted yes, 8 in favor of revocation, 3 absent. Commissioner Richie Beeler, Dr. Dasha Lundy and Kyle Ward were absent.
The decision is now in the hands of the owners of El Tequila, sell the business for another owner to apply and obtain a beer license. File an appeal in Chancery Court and live to fight another day, walk away or an option I haven’t thought of.
