La Plata, MD – It was one of the stranger show cause orders to come before the Charles County Board of License Commissioners (Liquor Board) in some time.
Sena H. Kim, owner of Beer 4 U Inc., known as Beer 4 U Sports Bar at 2172 Crain Highway in Waldorf, has owned the business there for three years. She obtained her liquor license from the board in 2014 and has never had one violation related to alcohol. What brought her before the board was what went on outside of her establishment in the parking lot. There were fights and large gatherings resulting in constant calls to police, circumstances which brought her before the Liquor Board Thursday, July 13.
“There were no alcohol violations,” attorneys Hammad S. Matin and David Martinez were quick to point out. “There were unfortunate incidents, fights in the parking lot where police were called.”
Matin said Kim was willing to hire off-duty police officers in an effort to quell any extra-curricular activity, especially on Friday and Saturday nights when bands are performing. That appeared to be when most situations occurred.
“Are we allowed to hear this report?” Liquor Board Chair Pamela Smith asked.
“We’d like to know what happened,” Board Member Guy Black added. “How did we get here?”
Liquor Board Counsel Jessica Andritz suggested the board meet in private, the first of many sessions as the board and their attorney discussed how to proceed. Some of their concerns, they admitted, amounted to uncharted territory.
After legal consultation, Smith said, “We have questions on the counts. We haven’t heard the case at all,” she stated. “We’re reading a consent order.”
Andritz suggested postponing a decision to a later date.
“I think it would be in the board’s interest to hear the proper facts so they have time to reflect, or we will be back in the same situation,” she stressed.
“If the county wants to give a proffer, we have no objection,” Matin said.
Charles County Attorney Adam Storch proceeded at that point, and said that in February of 2017 Master Cpl. Judith Thompson sent a survey out to county police officers as to where they had to respond to the most disturbances at Charles County establishments since August 2014. Beer 4 U Sports Bar made the top of the list.
“Everything was good at first,” Storch said. “But after half a year passed they started doing large bands. As of February 2017 there were some very serious incidents, assaults, disorderly conduct and charges more serious than that.”
Storch added the establishment’s problems stem from, “just not having security in the parking lot.
“Police would testify this is a problem place,” he added. “They would testify that if there’s a big fight here, we need everyone to come and handle this. I think that is their description of the nature of this violation. She [Kim] didn’t cause these things, but she didn’t have security in the parking lot.”
“We don’t dispute that,” Matin said. “There were times she would have a uniformed officer and if there was a large crowd he would opt to call the Charles County Sheriff’s Office and not directly intervene. What she [Kim] learned later is that there are different officers with different skill sets. Some officers have a better rapport than others. She has hired an officer who has agreed to provide security, an Officer Mackall. She will hire two officers for every live band. I never saw a licensee do that.
“She wants to make sure these issues are addressed,” Matin stressed. “One of the counts is for serving alcohol at certain hours, which we would contest.”
“I think its unfair characterization that she hired off-duty officers and at some point it wasn’t working,” Storch countered. “Sometimes she would be kind of cheap and only hire one officer who can’t deal with a large crowd. He would have to call for help. I would agree Officer Mackall is a better fit for the establishment.”
But after more private legal sessions, Smith admitted that the board was limited in what it could do other than holding three days in abeyance for future closure should more problems occur.
“Our biggest concern is that our hands are tied,” Smith said.
“In a perfect world, can you just close her down for three days and rip this up?” Matin asked of the consent order. “The amount of work this has been, I would actually beg this board to close her for three days.”
“That train has left the station,” Smith retorted. “There are tons of consent orders that have come through here. We don’t want to throw the consent order out. We do feel this is a lighter penalty than we would have done.”
There was some concern expressed about just having security on nights when bands are playing.
“This isn’t going away,” she warned. “We’re just not going to smack her hand. Having heard the details there is concern. If there is a problem on a night you’re having a DJ we will come back. Know that we can say live bands and karaoke and a DJ we will do it.”
“One hundred percent,” Matin agreed. “The message is loud and clear.”
“We’re willing to proceed with the consent order,” Smith said. “It’s been a little teaching lesson for all of us.”
Contact Joseph Norris at joe.norris@thebaynet.com