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No Blues at Paradice
December 14, 2006
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Jeffrey Temas is a nice guy. He's very polite, friendly and courteous. He's intelligent, capable and professional. That's why his calling for a $2,000 fine (with $1,000 suspended for a year) to sanction Paradice Bluz in Lahaina for the crime of letting "several patrons" carry their drinks onto the dance floor was so shocking and outrageous.
At the Dec. 7, 2006 LC Board of Adjudication hearing, Temas told the panel that in the early morning hours of Sunday, July 9 of this year, LC Officer Trainee Karilee Mukai "watched several patrons consuming liquor while on the dance floor." This went on, she reported to her supervisor, LC Officer John McMurray, who was also in the club that night, for five minutes. After taking photos of the offending patrons, McMurray and Mukai then informed the manager that they'd be writing up a violation.
"Several" customers taking their drinks to the dance floor. For five minutes. No priors for the offense, either.
Sounds like a $2,000 fine to me.
Pleading no contest, owner Chris Mahon told the board that sometimes his floor staff would catch customers holding drinks close to their chest as they bounced around. He added that keeping alcoholic beverages out of the specially taped-off dance floor was a nightly concern for him and his staff.
For whatever reason, the board rejected the idea of fining Mahon the same amount of money they slap down on establishments found guilty of serving minors or drunks. Deliberating for just five minutes—maybe irony lives at LC headquarters after all—the board threw out Temas' recommended fine in favor of a simple letter of reprimand.
"Happy holidays," Mahon said, walking out.