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