Considering A Dram Shop Case Against Babes Gentlemen's Club? Here's What You Need To Know
I've sued more reckless bars for failing to adhere to liquor laws than anyone else in the state of Texas. With three decades of experience and hundreds of cases behind me, I have seen just how frequently bars put profit before safety and over-serve alcohol, in spite of their legal obligation to serve responsibly. While people might see or hear of drunk driving accidents from time to time, they don't tend to hear as much about the role that irresponsible bars play in those accidents. In order to raise more awareness of this topic, I spend a portion of my time researching the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission's complaint database and writing about my findings here on my website. If you think you might have a dram shop (liquor liability) claim, don't hesitate to call my office at (855) 326-0000.
Babes Gentlemen's Club is located in Nolanville, Texas. In recent years, it has attracted the attention of the TABC due to allegations of liquor law violations. Between 2016 adn 2018, authorities conducted no fewer than five investigations into the club's alcohol service practices.
In my three decades of legal practice, rarely have I seen bar end up involved in a wrongful death or injury case that didn't have a history of complaints on file with TABC. Almost every bar I've ever sued was already on the authorities radar, so when I see a bar that has been investigated several times over a short period, it raises my concern that it could one day play a part in an accident.
Note: Investigations are not proof of wrongdoing. However, if authorities investigate and fail to find evidence, it doesn't necessarily mean an establishment is innocent, either. The purpose of this article is simply to relay publicly-available information about incidents where the TABC has investigated Babes Gentlemen's Club for possible criminal or administrative violations.
TABC Investigations of Babes Gentlemen's Club Between 2016 and 2018
Nolanville - 4100 E Veterans Memorial Boulevard Suite A
Allegations:
On 05/12/2016, a concerned citizen filed a complaint with the TABC, accusing the club of selling alcohol to a minor, employing a person under 18 to work nude, allowing staff to sell drugs on the premises, selling alcohol to an intoxicated patron, unsanitary conditions, and prostitution on the premises.
Authorities looked into the matter shortly thereafter. For most liquor law violations, the TABC requires either video footage of the incident or eyewitness testimony from one of its agents in order to take action. Having neither in this investigation, authorities decided to close the case on 07/05/2016.
A member of the Nolanville community reached out to the TABC on 07/06/2016 and leveled multiple accusations at the club, including: permitting the possession of drugs on the premises, possessing alcohol unfit for consumption, lewd acts, and unsanitary conditions.
As mentioned in the previous investigation summary, the TABC relies heavily on video footage to back up most claims of wrongdoing. Since authorities had no such evidence in this investigation, they could not take any action, leading to their decision to close the case on 09/03/2016.
The third citizen complaint came on 03/21/2017, claiming that staff was drinking on the job. Additionally, it claimed that the club was unsanitary, allowed prostitution, and permitted staff to sell drugs.
Due to a lack of video evidence, authorities could not determine the veracity of the claims. Unable to take any further action, the TABC was left with no choice but to close the case, which it did on 05/20/2017.
Yet another citizen complaint reached the TABC on 09/08/2017, alleging staff was drinking on the job and sold alcohol to a minor. It also accused the club of allowing staff to sell drugs on the premises and alleged that lewd acts or exposure of a person occurred.
The ensuing investigation was not successful at proving any of the allegations because authorities did not have video evidence. With no other course of action available, investigators decided to conclude their efforts on 11/07/2017.
Law enforcement contacted the TABC on 08/17/2018, claiming that the bar sold alcohol to an intoxicated person.
TABC agents conducted an inquiry, but after over a month and a half of work, they still had not managed to find any corroborating evidence. Consequently, on 10/04/2018, they decided to close the case without any further action.
Texas Law Says Accident Victims Can Sue Bad Bars
If you would like to learn more about Texas dram shop law (i.e. lawsuits against bars who play a role in injurious or fatal accidents), please visit our Texas Dram Shop Law Info Page.
