(a) The board shall revoke, suspend or annul a license or permit for any of the following reasons:

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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 7-51-1109

  • Adult-oriented establishment: includes , but is not limited to, an adult bookstore, adult motion picture theater, adult mini-motion picture establishment, adult cabaret, escort agency, sexual encounter center, massage parlor, rap parlor, sauna. See Tennessee Code 7-51-1102
  • Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
  • Board: means the adult-oriented establishment board, or, if there is in existence in the county a massage registration board appointed by the county mayor, such board may be substituted for the board. See Tennessee Code 7-51-1102
  • Code: includes the Tennessee Code and all amendments and revisions to the code and all additions and supplements to the code. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • County: as used in this part , means either a Class A county or a Class B county as classified in §. See Tennessee Code 7-51-1102
  • County mayor: means and includes "county executive" unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
  • Employee: means a person who performs any service on the premises of an adult-oriented establishment on a full-time, part-time, or contract basis, whether or not the person is denominated an employee, independent contractor, agent or otherwise, and whether or not such person is paid a salary, wage, or other compensation by the operator of such business. See Tennessee Code 7-51-1102
  • Entertainer: means any person who provides entertainment within an "adult-oriented establishment" as defined in this section, whether or not a fee is charged or accepted for entertainment and whether or not entertainment is provided as an employee, escort or an independent contractor. See Tennessee Code 7-51-1102
  • Escort: means a person who, for monetary consideration in the form of a fee, commission, salary or tip, dates, socializes, visits, consorts with, accompanies, or offers to date, socialize, visit, consort or accompany to social affairs, entertainment or places of amusement or within any place of public resort or within any private quarters of a place of public resort. See Tennessee Code 7-51-1102
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
  • Minor: means any person who has not attained eighteen (18) years of age. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Notice: means , when required by this part, placing the document in the United States mail with sufficient first-class postage to carry it to its destination to the address of the person being notified as contained in their application, unless such person has notified the board in writing of such person's new address. See Tennessee Code 7-51-1102
  • Operator: means any person, partnership, or corporation operating, conducting or maintaining an adult-oriented establishment. See Tennessee Code 7-51-1102
  • Record: means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in a perceivable form. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Writ of certiorari: An order issued by the Supreme Court directing the lower court to transmit records for a case for which it will hear on appeal.
  • written: includes printing, typewriting, engraving, lithography, and any other mode of representing words and letters. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
(1) Discovery that false or misleading information or data was given on any application or material facts were omitted from any application;
(2) The operator, entertainer, employee, or any escort violates any provision of this part; provided, that an operator has a duty to supervise conduct on the premises of the adult-oriented establishment and shall be deemed responsible for the conduct of an entertainer, employee, or escort, if the operator knew, or should have known, of the violation and authorized, approved, or, in the exercise of due diligence, failed to take reasonable efforts to prevent the violation;
(3) The operator, entertainer, employee, or escort becomes ineligible to obtain the appropriate license or permit;
(4) Any cost or fee required to be paid by this part is not paid;
(5) Any intoxicating liquor or malt beverage is served or consumed on the premises of the adult-oriented establishment, when an operator, employee, entertainer, or escort knew, or should have known, of the violation and authorized, approved, or, in the exercise of due diligence, failed to take reasonable efforts to prevent the violation;
(6) An operator who, with actual or constructive knowledge, employs an employee who does not have a permit or provides space on the premises, whether by lease or otherwise, to an independent contractor who performs or works as an entertainer without a permit;
(7) Any operator, employee or entertainer sells, furnishes, gives or displays, or causes to be sold, furnished, given or displayed to any minor any adult- oriented entertainment or adult-oriented material;
(8) Any operator, employee or entertainer denies access of law enforcement personnel to any portion of the licensed premises wherein adult-oriented entertainment is permitted or to any portion of the licensed premises wherein adult-oriented material is displayed or sold;
(9) An operator, who with actual or constructive knowledge, fails to maintain the licensed premises in a sanitary condition by allowing continuing violations of the published health code, rules, or regulations specifically applicable in that jurisdiction, based upon an inspection by the appropriate health authority for that jurisdiction; and
(10) Any operator, employee or entertainer is convicted of a specified criminal act, as defined in § 7-51-1102, provided that such violation occurred on the licensed premises.
(b)

(1) Notwithstanding anything in this part to the contrary, before revoking or suspending any license or permit, the chair shall give the license holder or permit holder not less than ten (10) nor more than twenty (20) days’ written notice of the charges against such license holder or permit holder and of the revocation of such license or permit, or of the period of time such license or permit is to be suspended; such notice shall also advise the license holder or permit holder of the license holder’s or permit holder’s right to request a hearing before the board. In the event the license holder or permit holder does not request in writing a hearing before the board within the time set forth in such notice, the suspension or revocation shall be effective beginning the date set forth in such notice.
(2) If the license holder or permit holder desires to request a hearing before the board to contest the suspension or revocation, such request shall be made in writing to the county mayor of such county within ten (10) days of the license holder’s or permit holder’s receipt of the notification from the board. If the license holder or permit holder timely requests such a hearing, the effective date of a suspension or hearing shall be stayed pending the final outcome of judicial proceedings to determine whether such license or permit has been properly revoked or suspended under the law.
(3) If the license holder or permit holder timely requests such a hearing, a public hearing shall be held within fifteen (15) days of the county mayor‘s receipt of such request before the board, at which time the license holder or permit holder may present evidence contrary to this part. The board shall hear evidence concerning the basis for such suspension or revocation and shall affirm or reverse the suspension or revocation at the conclusion of such hearing; any such hearing shall be concluded no later than twenty-two (22) days after the license holder’s or permit holder’s receipt of the notification of the suspension or revocation, unless an extension beyond such time period is requested by the license holder or permit holder and granted by the board.
(c)

(1) If the board affirms the suspension or revocation, the county attorney for such county shall institute suit for declaratory judgment in a court of record in such county, within five (5) days of the date of any such affirmation seeking an immediate judicial determination of whether such license or permit has been properly revoked or suspended under the law.
(2) Any operator whose license is revoked shall not be eligible to receive a license for five (5) years from the date of revocation.
(3) The applicant shall be entitled to judicial determination of the issues within two (2) days after joinder of issue, and a decision shall be rendered by the court within two (2) days of the conclusion of the hearing.
(4) The board shall have the burden of showing that a revocation or suspension of a license under this section is not arbitrary or capricious. If a board decision is found by the court to be clearly erroneous, the court may overturn the decision as being arbitrary or capricious.
(5) This subsection (c) shall apply in any county that, pursuant to § 7-51-1120, adopts this part as being applicable in its county, unless the county legislative body of that county elects to have subsection (d) apply.
(d)

(1) In any county in which the legislative body, in accordance with subdivision (d)(3), elects to make this subsection (d) applicable in its county, if the board affirms the suspension, revocation, or annulment of the license or permit of the holder, the license or permit holder may appeal the decision to a court of record in the county, within ten (10) days of any such affirmation, by common-law writ of certiorari. The appellant shall have the burden of showing to the court that the revocation, suspension, or annulment is illegal, arbitrary or capricious. If a court finds the board decision is clearly erroneous, the court may overturn the decision as being illegal, arbitrary or capricious.
(2) Any operator whose license is revoked shall not be eligible to receive a license for five (5) years from the date of revocation.
(3) The legislative body of any county that, pursuant to § 7-51-1120, adopts this part as being applicable in its county, shall also have the option of electing to make this subsection (d) applicable in its county. Any action by the county may be rescinded by the legislative body, in which case subsection (c) shall apply.
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