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Show Illegal fish, narcotics, gambling charged Unusual court shuts down May's Place cocaine, a charge which could carry a penalty of one to 15 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine. Christiansen explained the council's coun-cil's court-like procedure is now By JUDY JENSEN Asst Managing Editor NORTH SALT LAKE In an unprecedented move, the City Council, acting as judge and jury, has revoked the business and beer license of the tavern. May's Place. Kent Christiansen, city attorney, conducted a "court' at the Dec. 18 City Council meeting. He represented rep-resented the city in its action against Dallas Hansen, owner of the tavern. The revocation hearing was held to discuss evidence against Hansen and others on several charges, including in-cluding alleged fighting in the bar that required police intervention; a substantial number of DUI arrests involving patrons; confiscation of an alleged gambling device; gambling gambl-ing activities on the premises with Hansen's knowledge; sale of narcotics; nar-cotics; unreported gambling money; unreported earnings paid to employees which deprives the city of taxes; and confiscation of a piranha. William K. McGuire, deputy Davis County attorney, said charges are pending against Hansen for gambling and possession of protected pro-tected wildlife (the piranha). If pro-" ven, each of the class B misdemeanors misde-meanors could result in a fine of up to $1,000 and up to six months in jail. Felony charges have also been filed by the Davis Metro Narcotics Strike Force against bar patron Elfreida Jensen for distribution of fc 'I I ! 1 Ml - " -- , .1 . V Now he is entitled to a full hearing where he may question his accusers," ac-cusers," Christiansen said. The City Council acted as the "tryor of fact" and administrative law judges in the informal evidentiary eviden-tiary hearing. The council heard testimony from several North Salt Lake police officers, and a Davis Metro Narcotics Nar-cotics Strike Force undercover officer. offi-cer. The officers told of numerous incidents involving drunkenness, fights and other complaints stemming stemm-ing from May's Place. Each North Salt Lake officer testified he had responded to far more complaints at May's than at the other three similar establishments estab-lishments in the city. John Heamdon, who has been a North Salt Lake police officer for six years, said he has responded to "fights, inside and out, assaults, and incidents of public intoxication at May's more than the other three combined. ' ' Hansen's attorney, Jolin Bucher, cautioned the council not to take into consideration any of the criminal charges as they deliberated the evidence. "Narcotics, the pirahna and gambling are criminal charges and can't be defended here," he said. - Christiansen then called Elizabeth Ann Meyer, Hansen's SEE May's A-2 North Salt Lake police officer Brett Mann prepares papers to be served at May's Place notifying notify-ing the owner that his business and beer licenses have been revoked. mandated by case law from the United States and Utah Supreme Court "For a long time license revocation was done by the administration. ad-ministration. Within the last two years the right of due process has been protected for the defendant. May's CONT. FROM A-l daughter-in-law, to testify. She said she had been a regular patron of May's "every day for the last six months. Meyer said she had witnessed Hansen dispensing drinks when he was intoxicated. "When he was, drinking, he would share drinks with you or buy you a beer,' she said. Christiansen explained a bartender must be able to discern if a patron has had too much to drink. He asked Meyer if she had ever had too much to drink at May's. "I got drunk in there so many times I don't know how I got home, she said. Meyer testified one of her boyfriends had "bought drugs there.' The defense then called Tamera Lynn Fennem to testify for Hansen. She told the council that she had recognized the undercover officer and had identified him as a policeman one night at May's. "He talked to me later and told me he thought I had 'narced him off. He said, 'You don't want to see your father and your uncle come down.' He wanted me to work for him and set people up in the bar. He told me I could go to prison. Meyers claimed the undercover officer had told her someone else had gone to prison for identifying a police officer. She testified that she had told the officer she would get back to him on whether she would help him. She then told the council that one of Hansen's accusers, Annette Patrick, was "having an affair with the undercover officer. She said Hansen's attorney, Bucher, had asked Meyer to tape telephone conversations with Patrick which would prove that charge. Those tapes were then entered into evidence. Each of the employees called to testify on Hansen's behalf told the. council they were not aware of illegal il-legal gambling taking place at May's. Each also said they were paid in cash at the end of their shift. Each was aware of the "poker machine" and denied that anyone ever gambled on the device. "Have you ever paid anyone off for winning on the machine?' Christiansen asked Fennem. "They would win credits for beer,M she said. When questioned on her answer, an-swer, she quickly recanted her testimony saying she did not know haw to play the machine. "It was used for amusement purposes only," said Fennem. Current and former employees, and "regular' customers testified they were unaware of drugs being bought or sold at May's. Each agreed there was a "fish" at the bar, but none was aware it was illegal. il-legal. Most had witnessed fights at the bar. Christiansen called Hansen to the stand and asked about the sale of drugs at May's. "I hate drugs, said Hansen. "No one in the world wants to see the war on drugs won more than me. My son went to prison for drugs, he said. When questioned about payoffs on the poker machine, Hansen said,' Annette said she paid off on it, but you couldn't believe a word she said." Christiansen asked Hansen about the number of police calls to break up fights at the bar. "When you've got a 108-pound bartender and two violent drunks going at it, I want the police to take care of it, he said. "I can't be there all the time, I'd Friday by Officer Brett Mann. North Nor-th Salt Lake Police Chief Val Wilson said he has not heard from Hansen since the order was issued. "He contacted Collin (city administrator ad-ministrator Collin Wood) and asked that we not put the order into effect until they could get to court, but that request was denied," he said go nuts. I've made a few mistakes in my life and one of them was buying buy-ing this bar," said Hansen. Christiansen asked, "Has it been a headache?" Hansen's attorney asked him not to volunteer any information, in-formation, but Hansen shook his head affirmatively to Christiansen's question. The council reviewed tapes submitted sub-mitted into evidence and rendered their decision late Thursday in public pub-lic session. Acting as spokesperson, Councilwoman Shanna Schaefermeyer read their decision. "After discussing it thoroughly, and after having reviewed the evidence including the tapes, I move that we revoke the business and the beer license for May's Place." The council unanimously approved the motion. Christiansen prepared the necessary documents, and the notice of revocation was delivered |