R81-1-6. Violation Schedule

  (1) Authority. This rule is pursuant to Sections 32B-2-202(1)(c)(i), 32B-2-202(1) and (3), 32B-2-202(2)(b) and (c), and 32B-3-101 to -207. These provisions authorize the commission to establish criteria and procedures for imposing sanctions against licensees and permittees and their officers, employees and agents who violate statutes and commission rules relating to alcoholic beverages. For purposes of this rule, holders of certificates of approval are also considered licensees. The commission may revoke or suspend the licenses or permits, and may impose a fine against a licensee or permittee in addition to or in lieu of a suspension. The commission also may impose a fine against an officer, employee or agent of a licensee or permittee. Violations are adjudicated under procedures contained in Section 32B-3-101 to -207 and disciplinary hearing Section R81-1-7.

  (2) General Purpose. This rule establishes a schedule setting forth a range of penalties which may be imposed by the commission for violations of the alcoholic beverage laws. It shall be used by department decision officers in processing violations, and by presiding officers in charging violations, in assisting parties in settlement negotiations, and in recommending penalties for violations. The schedule shall be used by the commission in rendering its final decisions as to appropriate penalties for violations.

  (3) Application of Rule.

  (a) This rule governs violations committed by all commission licensees and permittees and their officers, employees and agents except single event permittees. Violations by single event permittees and their employees and agents are processed under Section 32B-9-204 and -305.

  (b) This rule does not apply to situations where a licensee or permittee fails to maintain the minimum qualifications provided by law for holding a license or permit. These might include failure to maintain a bond or insurance, or a conviction for a criminal offense that disqualifies the licensee or permittee from holding the license or permit. These are fundamental licensing and permitting requirements and failure to maintain them may result in immediate suspension or forfeiture of the license or permit. Thus, they are not processed in accordance with the Administrative Procedures Act, Title 63G, Chapter 4 or Section R81-1-7. They are administered by issuance of an order to show cause requiring the licensee or permittee to provide the commission with proof of qualification to maintain their license or permit.

  (c) If a licensee or permittee has not received a letter of admonishment, as defined in Sections R81-1-2 and R81-1-7(2)(b), or been found by the commission to be in violation of Utah statutes or commission rules for a period of 36 consecutive months, its violation record shall be expunged for purposes of determining future penalties sought. The expungement period shall run from the date the last offense was finally adjudicated by the commission.

  (d) In addition to the penalty classifications contained in this rule, the commission may:

  (i) upon revocation of a license or permit, take action to forfeit the bond of any licensee or permittee;

  (ii) prohibit an officer, employee or agent of a licensee or permittee from serving, selling, distributing, manufacturing, wholesaling, warehousing, or handling alcoholic beverages in the course of employment with any commission licensee or permittee for a period determined by the commission;

  (iii) order the removal of a manufacturer's, supplier's or importer's products from the department's sales list and a suspension of the department's purchase of those products for a period determined by the commission if the manufacturer, supplier, or importer directly committed the violation, or solicited, requested, commanded, encouraged, or intentionally aided another to engage in the violation.

  (iv) require a licensee to have a written responsible alcohol service plan as provided in R81-1-24.

  (e) When the commission imposes a fine or administrative costs, it shall establish a date on which the payment is due. Failure of a licensee or permittee or its officer, employee or agent to make payment on or before that date shall result in the immediate suspension of the license or permit or the suspension of the employment of the officer, employee or agent to serve, sell, distribute, manufacture, wholesale, warehouse or handle alcoholic beverages with any licensee or permittee until payment is made. Failure of a licensee or permittee to pay a fine or administrative costs within 30 days of the initial date established by the commission shall result in the issuance of an order to show cause why the license or permit should not be revoked and the licensee's or permittee's compliance bond forfeited. The commission shall consider the order to show cause at its next regularly scheduled meeting.

  (f) Violations of any local ordinance are handled by each individual local jurisdiction.

  (4) Penalty Schedule. The department and commission shall follow these penalty range guidelines:

  (a) Minor Violations. Violations of this category are lesser in nature and relate to basic compliance with the laws and rules. If not corrected, they are sufficient cause for action. Penalty range: Verbal warning from law enforcement or department compliance officer(s) to revocation of the license or permit and/or up to a $25,000 fine. A record of any letter of admonishment shall be included in the licensee's or permittee's and the officer's, employee's or agent's violation file at the department to establish a violation history.

  (i) First occurrence involving a minor violation: the penalty shall range from a verbal warning from law enforcement or department compliance officer(s), which is documented to a letter of admonishment to the licensee or permittee and the officer, employee or agent involved. Law enforcement or department compliance officer(s) shall notify management of the licensee or permittee when verbal warnings are given.

  (ii) Second occurrence of the same type of minor violation: a written investigation report from law enforcement or department compliance officer(s) shall be forwarded to the department. The penalty shall range from a $100 to $500 fine for the licensee or permittee, and a letter of admonishment to a $25 fine for the officer, employee or agent.

  (iii) Third occurrence of the same type of minor violation: a one to five day suspension of the license or permit and employment of the officer, employee or agent, and/or a $200 to $500 fine for the licensee or permittee and up to a $50 fine for the officer, employee or agent.

  (iv) More than three occurrences of the same type of minor violation: a six day suspension to revocation of the license or permit and a six to ten day suspension of the employment of the officer, employee or agent, and/or a $500 to $25,000 fine for the licensee or permittee and up to a $75 fine for the officer, employee or agent.

  (v) If more than one violation is charged during the same investigation, the penalty shall be the sum of the days of suspension and/or the monetary penalties for each of the charges in their respective categories. If other minor violations are discovered during the same investigation, a verbal warning shall be given for each violation on a first occurrence. If the same type of violation is reported more than once during the same investigation, the violations shall be charged as a single occurrence.

  (b) Moderate Violations. Violations of this category demonstrate a general disregard for the laws or rules. Although the gravity of the acts are not viewed in the same light as in the serious and grave categories, they are still sufficient cause for action. Penalty range: Written investigation report from law enforcement or department compliance officer(s) shall be forwarded to the department on the first occurrence. The penalty shall range from a letter of admonishment to revocation of the license or permit and/or up to a $25,000 fine.

  (i) First occurrence involving a moderate violation: a written investigation report from law enforcement or department compliance officer(s) shall be forwarded to the department. The penalty shall range from a letter of admonishment to a $1000 fine for the licensee or permittee, and a letter of admonishment to a $50 fine for the officer, employee or agent.

  (ii) Second occurrence of the same type of moderate violation: a three to ten day suspension of the license or permit and a three to ten day suspension of the employment of the officer, employee or agent, and/or a $500 to $1000 fine for the licensee or permittee and up to a $75 fine for the officer, employee or agent.

  (iii) Third occurrence of the same type of moderate violation: a ten to 20 day suspension of the license or permit and a ten to 20 day suspension of the employment of the officer, employee or agent, and/or a $1000 to $2000 fine for the licensee or permittee and up to a $100 fine for the officer, employee or agent.

  (iv) More than three occurrences of the same type of moderate violation: a 15 day suspension to revocation of the license or permit and a 15 to 30 day suspension of the employment of the officer, employee or agent, and/or a $2000 to $25,000 fine for the licensee or permittee and up to a $150 fine for the officer, employee or agent.

  (v) If more than one violation is charged during the same investigation, the penalty shall be the sum of the days of suspension and/or the sum of the monetary penalties for each of the charges in their respective categories.

  (vi) If the same type of violation is reported more than once during the same investigation, the violations shall be charged as a single occurrence.

  (c) Serious Violations. Violations of this category directly or indirectly affect or potentially affect the public safety, health and welfare, or may involve minors. Penalty range: Written investigation report from law enforcement or department compliance officer(s) shall be forwarded to the department on the first occurrence. The penalty shall range from a five day suspension to revocation of the license or permit and/or up to a $25,000 fine.

  (i) First occurrence involving a serious violation: written investigation report from law enforcement or department compliance officer(s) shall be forwarded to the department. The penalty shall range from a five to 30 day suspension of the license or permit and a five to 30 day suspension of the employment of the officer, employee or agent, and/or a $500 to $3000 fine for the licensee or permittee and up to a $300 fine for the officer, employee or agent.

  (ii) Second occurrence of the same type of serious violation: a ten to 90 day suspension of the license or permit and a ten to 90 day suspension of the employment of the officer, employee or agent, and/or a $1000 to $9000 fine for the licensee or permittee and up to a $350 fine for the officer, employee or agent.

  (iii) More than two occurrences of the same type of serious violation: a 15 day suspension to revocation of the license or permit and a 15 to 120 day suspension of the employment of the officer, employee or agent, and/or a $9000 to $25,000 fine for the licensee or permittee and up to a $700 fine for the officer, employee or agent.

  (iv) If more than one violation is charged during the same investigation, the penalty shall be the sum of the days of suspension and/or the sum of the monetary penalties for each of the charges in their respective categories.

  (v) If the same type of violation is reported more than once during the same investigation, the violations shall be charged as a single occurrence.

  (d) Grave Violations. Violations of this category pose or potentially pose, a grave risk to public safety, health and welfare, or may involve lewd acts prohibited by title 32B, fraud, deceit, willful concealment or misrepresentation of the facts, exclusion of competitors' products, unlawful tied house trade practices, commercial bribery, interfering or refusing to cooperate with authorized officials in the discharge of their duties, unlawful importations, or industry supplying liquor to persons other than the department and military installations. Penalty range: Written investigation report from law enforcement or department compliance officer(s) shall be forwarded to the department on the first occurrence. The penalty shall range from a ten day suspension to revocation of the license or permit and/or up to a $25,000 fine.

  (i) First occurrence involving a grave violation: written investigation report from law enforcement or department compliance officer(s) shall be forwarded to the department. The penalty shall range from a ten day suspension to revocation of the license or permit and a 10 to 120 day suspension of the employment of the officer, employee or agent, and/or a $1000 to $25,000 fine to the licensee or permittee and up to a $300 fine for the officer, employee or agent.

  (ii) More than one occurrence of the same type of grave violation: a fifteen day suspension to revocation of the license or permit, and a 15 to 180 day suspension of the employment of the officer, employee or agent and/or a $3000 to $25,000 fine for the licensee or permittee and up to a $500 fine for the officer, employee or agent.

  (iii) If more than one violation is charged during the same investigation, the penalty shall be the sum of the days of suspension and/or the sum of the monetary penalties for each of the charges in their respective categories.

  (iv) If the same type of violation is reported more than once during the same investigation, the violations shall be charged as a single occurrence.

  (e) The following table summarizes the penalty ranges contained in this section of the rule for licensees and permittees.

TABLE

Violation Warning Fine Suspension Revoke

Degree and Verbal/Written $ Amount No. of Days License

Frequency

Minor

1st X X

2nd 100 to 500

3rd 200 to 500 1 to 5

Over 3 500 to 25,000 6 to X

Moderate

1st X to 1,000

2nd 500 to 1,000 3 to 10

3rd 1,000 to 2,000 10 to 20

Over 3 2,000 to 25,000 15 to X

Serious

1st 500 to 3,000 5 to 30

2nd 1,000 to 9,000 10 to 90

Over 2 9,000 to 25,000 15 to X

Grave

1st 1,000 to 25,000 10 to X

Over 1 3,000 to 25,000 15 to X

  (f) The following table summarizes the penalty ranges contained in this section of the rule for officers, employees or agents of licensees and permittees.

TABLE

Violation Warning Fine Suspension

Degree and Verbal/Written $ Amount No. of Days

Frequency

Minor

1st X X

2nd X to 25

3rd to 50 1 to 5

Over 3 to 75 6 to 10

Moderate

1st X to 50

2nd to 75 3 to 10

3rd to 100 10 to 20

Over 3 to 150 15 to 30

Serious

1st to 300 5 to 30

2nd to 350 10 to 90

Over 2 to 700 15 to 120

Grave

1st to 300 10 to 120

Over 1 to 500 15 to 180

  (5) Aggravating and Mitigating Circumstances. The commission and presiding officers may adjust penalties within penalty ranges based upon aggravating or mitigating circumstances.

  (a) Examples of mitigating circumstances are:

  (i) no prior violation history;

  (ii) good faith effort to prevent a violation;

  (iii) existence of written policies governing employee conduct;

  (iv) extraordinary cooperation in the violation investigation that shows the licensee or permittee and the officer, employee or agent of the licensee or permittee accepts responsibility; and

  (v) there was no evidence that the investigation was based on complaints received or on observed misconduct of others, but was based solely on the investigating authority creating the opportunity for a violation.

  (b) Examples of aggravating circumstances are:

  (i) prior warnings about compliance problems;

  (ii) prior violation history;

  (iii) lack of written policies governing employee conduct;

  (iv) multiple violations during the course of the investigation;

  (v) efforts to conceal a violation;

  (vi) intentional nature of the violation;

  (vii) the violation involved more than one patron or employee;

  (viii) the violation involved a minor and, if so, the age of the minor; and

  (ix) whether the violation resulted in injury or death.

  (6) Violation Grid. Any proposed substantive change to the violation grid that would establish or adjust the degree of seriousness of a violation shall require rulemaking in compliance with title 63G-3, the Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act. A violation grid describing each violation of the alcoholic beverage control laws, the statutory and rule reference, and the degree of seriousness of each violation is available for public inspection in the department's administrative office. A copy will be provided upon request at reproduction cost. It is entitled "Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission Violation Grid" (January 2012 edition) and is incorporated by reference as part of this rule.