Two Jefferson City businesses face consequences for liquor law violations

Jefferson City’s Liquor and Control Board voted to temporarily suspend the liquor licenses of two businesses Wednesday.

Earlier this month, Jefferson City police had minors go into businesses and try to buy alcohol. Employees at Xpress Liquor & Smokes and JC Mart did not ask for identification.

“That’s why we have these kinds of compliance checks is so that any convenience store is aware that they could at any point have a police officer come in for compliance checks,” Jefferson City Finance and IT Director Margie Mueller said.

A JC Mart manager contacted ABC 17 News Thursday and said the store fired the clerk who sold alcohol to a minor the day after it happened.

But at Xpress Liquor, it was not the first time the business has been in trouble for liquor law violations.

Officers also caught the store selling alcohol to a minor last March. So this time around, the liquor control board voted to suspend its license for three days instead of one.

At Xpress Liquor the officer noticed the clerk had a warrant out for her arrest for not appearing in court on a speeding ticket took her to jail, according to the police report. The clerk has since bonded out.

ABC 17 News went to both business Wednesday to see if the stores thought the city’s consequences for liquor violations were too strict, but employees would not comment at either location.

If businesses are to learn anything from the consequences, Mueller said it is to make sure they are training workers properly on selling alcohol.

“Well they should obviously have an education program for their employees so that they abide by the rules and check ID’s,” Mueller said.

Correction: In an earlier version of the story, it was noted a clerk from JC Mart was taken to jail on an arrest warrant. The clerk was arrested at Xpress Liquor.