Cobb County overturns license-review denial and grants alcohol work permit to James Boyce

The Cobb County Board of Commissioners overturned a License Review Board denial and granted an alcohol server/work permit to James Boyce on Oct. 14, voting 4-1 to reverse the earlier administrative decision.

Background: The Business License Division denied Boyce’s application after a criminal-history check showed felony-related convictions with a conviction date of May 15, 2025 (arrests originally dated July 26, 2024 and Dec. 28, 2024 in Fulton/Atlanta). Regulatory staff cited Cobb County alcohol code §6-206, which disqualifies applicants convicted of certain offenses within five years. The applicant appealed the administrative denial to the License Review Board, which upheld the denial at its Aug. 21 hearing. The applicant then appealed to the Board of Commissioners.

Evidence and testimony: Sergeant Dan Fermato of the Cobb County Police Department’s Regulatory Services and Permits unit testified that the criminal-history search showed convictions that triggered an administrative denial. Alicia Webb, manager of Cobb County’s Business License Division, explained the appeal timeline and the administrative process. James Boyce testified on his own behalf: he acknowledged a guilty plea to aggravated assault, said he was participating in drug court and probation, reported sobriety since Dec. 28 and said he anticipated completing the accountability program within 18–24 months. He said he had prior industry experience, including roles as a beverage director and a Level 1 sommelier, and that he had been offered a position (server) but could not serve alcohol without a permit.

Deliberation and decision: Commissioners weighed the factors in Cobb Code §6-206 and §6-207, including the recency of the conviction, the applicant’s omission on his initial application (he answered “no” to having a felony conviction), and his ongoing participation in an accountability/legal program (drug court) with random testing and probation supervision. Several commissioners cited concern about the omission on the application and the importance of following rules; others cited the applicant’s industry experience and the court-supervised recovery program as mitigating factors.

Outcome: The board motion to overturn the License Review Board’s denial and grant the server/work permit passed 4-1, with Commissioner Joanne Burrell recorded in opposition. Under county procedure, a denied applicant may reapply after 12 months; an approved permit is issued for 12 months and requires renewal thereafter. The county noted that if new qualifying convictions occur in the permit period, staff would follow the code’s administrative procedures.

Authorities cited: Cobb County Code §6-206 (grounds for denial) and §6-207 (appeals and procedures) were quoted in staff testimony and guided the hearing.

Action summary: Motion to reverse License Review Board and issue permit — carried 4-1 (Burrell opposed).