ABC Consulting, in the courtroom

ABC Consulting Hearing and Court Appearances

Alcohol Licenses, business registrations and Virginia lottery permits are issued by the government and allow you to legally conduct business – and if you don’t fill out the paperwork correctly or apply for the wrong type of license, it could hold up the licensing. You also could end up having to appeal, attend a hearing to fight for your license. We have a long-standing Consulting Client that applied for a wine and beer off-premises store license. We ended up in court, with them. Can you imagine doing that on your own? The client was so grateful for the support. Application Hearing’s will delay license issuance and in some cases result in a restricted license or even license denial. The hearing decision is rendered in writing within 30 days of the hearing date. How do we help?

In this case, despite efforts of mediation with civic-league opposition, the client and ABC Consulting Alcohol Licensing Compliance Training proceeded to a VA ABC Authority Hearing. As you can from the photo, above, the room is filled with objectors (and supporters) of the alcohol license. Generally, hearings to resolve alleged violation(s) of the Virginia ABC Act and/or Virginia ABC’s Regulations take place at the appropriate Virginia ABC regional office. In some circumstances (significant public interest) a local governmental facility may be utilized.

  1. We recommend joining your local civic league to ensure that your business plan is in line with the civic league’s community plan.
  2. Administrative hearings are generally of two types: (1) Application—to obtain an ABC license, and (2) Disciplinary—to determine whether a licensee has violated one or more ABC laws and regulations. We can assist with either type.
  3. We help you prepare. Preparing for a hearing is far more than just showing up and giving opinions. Do your homework, bring facts, bring witnesses and if you wish to retain legal counsel it is highly recommended. We work with your legal counsel or you can use our recommended attorney.
  4. We understand the ABCs of an ABC Hearing (what and when evidence should be submitted, designating a spokesperson)
  5. We are confident enough about the process to help you speak loud and very slowly (so the court reporter captures your testimony accurately).
  6. We’ll help you speak to the Hearing Officer (not to the audience in the hearing room). The hearing officer conducts the hearing in a fair and impartial manner, while assuring that all relevant and material information is presented in order to make a reasoned decision.

Hearings can be very intimidating and if you are not experienced in a courtroom your relationship with ABC Consulting Alcohol Licensing Compliance Training is invaluable. We will assist you in navigating and preparing you for the hearing process.  We assist in the entire process of making you and keeping you compliant with Virginia laws. We offer so many services for small businesses in Virginia – to include proper training of your employees (T.O.A.S.T.®, BREW™, and WINE™ training are available, conveniently, online). And, we’re there for you in the courtroom. ABC Consulting is here to help you grow and serve safely!

*Disclaimer: The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this site are for general informational purposes only.  Information on this website may not constitute the most up-to-date legal or other information.  This website contains links to other third-party websites.  Such links are only for the convenience of the reader, user, or browser; ABC Consulting VA, LLC does not recommend or endorse the contents of the third-party sites. Readers of this website should contact their attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular legal matter.  No reader, user, or browser of this site should act or refrain from acting on the basis of information on this site without first seeking legal advice from counsel in the relevant jurisdiction.  Only your individual attorney can provide assurances that the information contained herein – and your interpretation of it – is applicable or appropriate to your particular situation. The views expressed at, or through, this site are those of the individual authors’ writing in their individual capacities only.  All liability with respect to actions taken or not taken, based on the contents of this site, are hereby expressly disclaimed.  The content on this posting is provided “as is;” no representations are made that the content is error-free. In no capacity do we represent the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority, IRS, SCC or any other government agency.

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