Franklin town councilors will discuss new guidelines for penalizing businesses caught selling liquor to minors, according to the Milford Daily News.
All businesses found to have illegally sold alcohol to a minor face possible suspension of their liquor licenses, with the penalties handed down by the council. In recent years, the majority of violations have come as a result of police department sting operations, during which a teenager working with law enforcement attempts to purchase an alcoholic beverage.
Usually the council asks the police chief for a recommendation before doling out punishment.
The proposed guidelines, though, would give councilors a starting point when deciding how long suspensions should run.
According to the guidelines, first offenders are to receive a three- to five-day suspension, with three days to serve and two put on hold for two years unless there is another violation; second-time offenders would get a five- to seven-day suspension, with three to serve and five put off; and third-time offenders face losing their license for five to seven days.
The suspensions should begin on the day the violation occurs, according to the guidelines.
There are several factors the council could consider when deciding the penalties, including the business’ willingness to acknowledge the violation and history of suspensions.
The state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission reviews each case after the local liquor license governing board makes its ruling. The ABCC may weigh the difference between violations resulting from sting operations differently than those that occur under normal circumstances.
