(a) The liquor commission, within its own county, shall have the jurisdiction, power, authority, and discretion, subject only to this chapter:

Terms Used In Hawaii Revised Statutes 281-17

  • board: means a board established by county charter, within a county, that shall have the jurisdiction to hear and determine complaints or violations of liquor laws and to impose penalties as may be provided in this chapter. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 281-1
  • Commission: means the liquor commission for the county within which such commission has jurisdiction under this chapter. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 281-1
  • County: means the county in respect of which each commission has jurisdiction under this chapter; provided that in the county of Kalawao liquor may be sold only by such persons and only under such conditions as may be permitted or prescribed from time to time by the department of health. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 281-1
  • 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.
  • Investigator: means any investigator of the commission in each case for the county wherein the commission has jurisdiction. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 281-1
  • 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.
  • License: means any license granted under this chapter. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 281-1
  • licensed premises: means the building and property that houses the establishment for which a license has been or is proposed to be issued; provided that in the case of class 12 hotel license, "premises" includes the hotel premises; provided further that in the case of a class 15 condominium hotel license, "premises" includes units, as defined in § 514B-3, that are used to provide transient lodging for periods of less than thirty days under a written contract with the owner or owners of each unit in, and common elements for access purposes as established by the declaration of condominium property regime of, the condominium hotel; and provided further that if an establishment is in a retail shopping complex the businesses of which have formed a merchants association, "premises" means the establishment. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 281-1
  • Licensee: includes also all agents, servants, and employees of the holder of a license. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 281-1
  • Person: means and includes natural persons, associations, copartnerships, limited liability companies, and corporations, and also includes any agent, servant, and employee of such person. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 281-1
  • premises: includes the hotel premises; provided further that in the case of a class 15 condominium hotel license, "premises" includes units, as defined in § 514B-3, that are used to provide transient lodging for periods of less than thirty days under a written contract with the owner or owners of each unit in, and common elements for access purposes as established by the declaration of condominium property regime of, the condominium hotel; and provided further that if an establishment is in a retail shopping complex the businesses of which have formed a merchants association, "premises" means the establishment. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 281-1
(1) To grant, refuse, suspend, and revoke any license for the manufacture, importation, and sale of liquors;
(2) To take appropriate action against a person who, directly or indirectly, manufactures, sells, or purchases any liquor without being authorized pursuant to this chapter; provided that in counties that have established by charter a liquor control adjudication board, the board shall have the jurisdiction, power, authority, and discretion to hear and determine administrative complaints of the director regarding violations of the liquor laws of the State or of the rules of the liquor commission, and impose penalties for violations thereof as may be provided by law;
(3) To control, supervise, and regulate the manufacture, importation, and sale of liquors by investigation, enforcement, and education; provided that any educational program shall be limited to the commission staff, commissioners, liquor control adjudication board members, and licensees and their employees, and shall be financed through the money collected from the assessment of fines against licensees; provided that fine moneys, not to exceed ten per cent a year of fines accumulated, may be used to fund public liquor-related educational or enforcement programs;
(4) From time to time to make, amend, and repeal rules, not inconsistent with this chapter, as in the judgment of the commission are deemed appropriate for carrying out this chapter and for the efficient administration thereof, and the proper conduct of the business of all licensees, including every matter or thing required to be done or which may be done with the approval or consent, by order, under the direction or supervision of, or as prescribed by the commission; which rules, when adopted as provided in chapter 91 shall have the force and effect of law;
(5) Subject to chapter 76, to appoint and remove an administrator, who may also be appointed an investigator and who shall be responsible for the operations and activities of the staff. The administrator may hire and remove hearing officers, investigators, and clerical or other assistants as its business may from time to time require, prescribe their duties and fix their compensation, and engage the services of experts and persons engaged in the practice of a profession, if deemed expedient. Every investigator, within the scope of the investigator’s duties, shall have the powers of a police officer;
(6) To limit the number of licenses of any class or kind within the county, or the number of licenses of any class or kind to do business in any given locality, when in the judgment of the commission such limitations are in the public interest;
(7) To prescribe the nature of the proof to be furnished, the notices to be given, and the conditions to be met or observed in case of the issuance of a duplicate license in place of one alleged to have been lost or destroyed, including a requirement of any indemnity deemed appropriate to the case;
(8) To fix the hours between which licensed premises of any class or classes may regularly be open for the transaction of business, which shall be uniform throughout the county as to each class respectively;
(9) To prescribe all forms to be used for the purposes of this chapter not otherwise provided for in this chapter, and the character and manner of keeping of books, records, and accounts to be kept by licensees in any matter pertaining to their business;
(10) To investigate violations of this chapter and, notwithstanding any law to the contrary, violations of the applicable department of health’s allowable noise levels, through its investigators or otherwise, to include covert operations, and to report violations to the prosecuting officer for prosecution where appropriate. Investigations of violations of chapter 244D shall be referred to the director of taxation to hear and determine complaints against any licensee;
(11) To prescribe, by rule, the terms, conditions, and circumstances under which persons or any class of persons may be employed by holders of licenses;
(12) To prescribe, by rule, the term of any license or solicitor’s and representative’s permit authorized by this chapter, the annual or prorated amount, the manner of payment of fees for the licenses and permits, and the amount of filing fees;
(13) To prescribe, by rule, regulations on dancing in licensed premises; and
(14) To prescribe, by rule, the circumstances and penalty for the unauthorized manufacturing or selling of any liquor.
(b) Subject only to this chapter, the commission or board and each member thereof shall have the same powers respecting the administering of oaths, compelling the attendance of witnesses and the production of documentary evidence, and examining the witnesses as are possessed by a circuit court, except that the commission or board and each member thereof shall not be bound by the strict legal rules of evidence. In addition, the commission or board shall have the power to require the production of, and to examine any books, papers, and records of any licensee which may pertain to the licensee’s business under the license or which may pertain to a matter at a hearing before the commission or board or to an investigation by the commission or board.

The exercise by the commission or board of the power, authority, and discretion vested in it pursuant to this chapter shall be final and shall not be reviewable by or appealable to any court or tribunal, except as otherwise provided in this chapter or chapter 91.

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