Considering A Dram Shop Case Against The Republic of Texas Sports Bar? Here's What You Need To Know

My firm has handled more liquor liability (dram shop) cases than anyone else in Texas. With over 30 years of practice behind me, I can attest to just how many bars regularly fail to adhere to alcohol service laws, particularly when it comes to their obligation to refuse service to patrons who are already drunk. While the public might see or hear about a drunk driving accident from time to time, it is much less common for it to hear about the role that irresponsible bars play in those accidents. In order to increase people's awareness of this problem, I dedicate a portion of my time to researching the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission's complaint database and reporting my findings here on my website. If you think you may have a dram shop (liquor liability) claim and have questions about how to proceed, please call me at (855) 326-0000.

The Republic of Texas Sports Bar is located in Levelland, Texas. In recent years, it has attracted the attention of the TABC due to allegations of liquor law violations. Between 2016 and 2020, authorities conducted no fewer than five investigations into the bar's alcohol service practices.

In my experience, it's uncommon for a bar without a history of run-ins with the TABC to end up on the hook for contributing to a wrongful death or injury. Virtually every bar I have ever sued was already on the authorities' radar. That's why I pay close attention to bars with several recent complaints against them. The more investigations a bar has had, the greater my concern is that it could one day contribute to an accident.

Note: Investigations are not proof of wrongdoing. However, if authorities investigate and fail to find evidence of a violation, 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 The Republic of Texas Sports Bar for possible criminal or administrative violations.

TABC Investigations of The Republic of Texas Sports Bar Between 2016 and 2020

Levelland - 803 College Avenue

Allegations:

Law enforcement contacted the TABC on 02/25/2016, claiming that the bar sold alcohol to an intoxicated person and that a breach of the peace (typically a fight) occurred.

Upon investigation, authorities were able to confirm that the bar failed to report a breach of the peace, which authorities classified as an administrative violation. After handing down an unspecified penalty, the TABC closed the case on 03/25/2016.

A concerned citizen filed a complaint with the TABC on 07/13/2018, claiming that a breach of the peace occurred.

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 08/28/2018.

A member of the Levelland community reached out to the TABC on 05/06/2019, claiming that the bar sold alcohol to an intoxicated person, that a breach of the peace occurred, and that staff sold drugs on the premises.

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 07/11/2019.

A second law enforcement complaint reached the TABC on 11/12/2019, alleging that the bar allowed staff to sell drugs on the premises and that a breach of the peace occurred.

Even when the source of a complaint is a police officer, the TABC still requires corroborating evidence before taking any action. Due to a lack of such evidence, investigators could not determine the veracity of the claim. As a result, they could not take any further action, leading to their decision to close the case on 01/07/2020.

The same day that the previous investigation ended, a third law enforcement complaint alleged that a breach of the peace occurred.

While the ensuing investigation was not able to prove the initial allegation, it was able to determine that the bar sold alcohol to an intoxicated patron, which authorities classified as both a criminal and administrative violation. After deciding not to hand down any punishment, the TABC closed the case on 03/10/2020.

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.