ALBANY – Hearsay evidence alone can provide the basis for an administrative finding that a bar sold alcohol to underage patrons, an Albany appellate panel has held in two cases.
In matters involving two different upstate bars, the Appellate Division, Third Department, rejected claims that the State Liquor Authority’s failure to call underage patrons as witnesses, produce copies of their photo identifications or submit proof that the beverages actually contained alcohol undermined its case. The SLA revoked the liquor licenses of Today’s Lounge and The Alley, both in Oneonta, where authorities say they witnessed bartenders serve alcohol to several underage individuals.
