DJ’s on The Hill, a bar on Marshall Street, has pleaded not guilty to charges that it refused to admit people without a college ID, the New York State Liquor Authority said.

The SLA charged Dean P. Whittles Inc., owner of DJ’s on The Hill, on Nov. 13. The charges could result in the bar’s liquor license being revoked as the maximum penalty, said Audrey Ruffinen, deputy director of public affairs for the SLA, in an email. She said specific charges against DJ’s on the Hill were for operating a “non bona fide premise.”

A revocation order would terminate the bar’s license and prohibit the licensee from holding a license or permit for two years. DJ’s on The Hill is currently allowed to serve alcohol.

“In this case, the SLA received complaints the licensee was refusing to admit any individuals into the bar who did not have college IDs,” Ruffinen said.

A follow-up inspection where undercover investigators tried to enter the bar proved the allegations were accurate, she said. Liquor license holders are not allowed to use college IDs to ensure patrons are of legal drinking age, Ruffinen said.

A hearing where license holders can appeal the SLA’s penalties is pending, she said. License holders also have the option to file a proceeding in state supreme court challenging the agency’s decision, she said.

“In order to attain a successful reconsideration, the licensee must bring forward new facts not previously considered by the board in their determination,” Ruffinen said.

Proceedings can be resolved by an administrative hearing, a no contest plea to charges or negotiations between the license holder and the SLA prosecutor.

Whittles, who holds the license for DJ’s on The Hill, declined to comment about the charges and the appeals process.

The SLA also suspended the license of DJ’s on the Boulevard, a sister location on Erie Boulevard East, in November.

DJ’s on the Boulevard pleaded not guilty to 53 violations, 47 of which were related to selling liquor to a minor. A joint undercover investigation by the SLA, the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles and the Syracuse Police Department found that nearly half of the bar’s 150 patrons during the investigation were underage, the SLA said in a statement.

The bar was also charged with staffing unlicensed bouncers and failing to keep accurate records.

“The State Liquor Authority will not hesitate to take immediate action against bar owners who are flagrantly breaking the law,” Vincent Bradley, the SLA chairman, said in a statement. “Licensees have an obligation to take basic steps to ensure their patrons are of legal age, including checking every ID, training employees and obtaining scanners to spot fakes.”

DJ’s on the Boulevard will not be allowed to sell alcohol until the charges are resolved, Ruffinen said.

DJ’s on The Hill was fined in 2017 for multiple counts of selling alcohol to minors and intoxicated people. The SLA mandated that the bar stop admitting patrons under 21 and purchase ID scanners as part of a settlement. The offer also called for further employee training.

Published on January 22, 2020 at 10:16 pm

Contact Michael: msessa@syr.edu | @MichaelSessa3