3rd Base Store pleads guilty to open-container violation; fine imposed

Managers of the 3rd Base Store told the board they would plead guilty after deputies discovered an open bottle of whiskey in a brown paper bag inside the store during a visit on Dec. 21, 2006.

Deputy testimony described the bottle (Black Velvet Canadian whiskey) recovered behind a picnic table near the back wall, partially concealed among beer cases. The deputy photographed the bottle and the location. License representatives said employees had been instructed to be more vigilant, that staffing levels will be increased to avoid single-employee vulnerabilities, and that the establishment had passed prior compliance checks earlier in January.

Board members discussed whether the bottle appeared empty or partially full; deputies confirmed it was partially full and had been opened. The board accepted the guilty plea and imposed a $250 fine on the open-container offense. On a second administrative charge the board imposed a $250 fine and suspended it. The chair directed payment procedures and noted the violation will remain on the establishment’s record for enforcement purposes.

Board counsel and members emphasized vigilance when the store hosts Keno and has patrons lingering inside the retail area.