Dufur Roadhouse doesn’t appeal fine

Since it did neither, the business has until June 20 to pay the full $5,940 penalty, said OLCC spokeswoman Christie Scott.

The 32-day mandatory suspension of the liquor license will start June 25 and end Sept. 1.

“They don’t have to close, they just can’t serve alcohol,” Scott said. “So they could still be open and serve food, they can have special events, they can have all-age events. I’ve seen people do that before.”

If the owners do not pay the fine by June 20, the license suspension will extend to 68 days.

She said of the fine, “This is a lot. Most of our fines are around, $1,000, $2,000, and usually with your first offense you have a choice of a fine or suspension.”

She said the 32- day suspension is also “a pretty high violation.”

The OLCC found the Roadhouse committed four violations, all last Dec. 1: that owner/licensee Richard Hunt was on duty while under the influence of intoxicants; that the licensees permitted Hunt to serve alcohol to himself on the premises; that he was permitted to mix, sell or serve alcohol or supervise those who do, without a valid service permit; and that he permitted disorderly activity on or next to the premises when he harassed and threatened Barbara Warnstadt and Samantha Filbin.

Hunt was arrested Dec. 1 by Wasco County sheriff’s deputies on a charge of disorderly conduct.

Scott said the fine and suspension was based not necessarily on the severity of the violations, but that it was “so many of the same kind of violation.”

She said Hunt was responsible for having his own serving permit and its aggravated because he’s the licensee and should know he should have a permit. The OLCC said it was a mitigating factor that the second through fourth violations are charged at the first level because they were discovered concurrently.

An aggravating factor the OLCC considered in setting the penalty was that Hunt was personally involved in every violation.

Named by the OLCC are Hunt, as managing member of the entity holding the license, and Barbara Warnstadt, as member of the entity holding the license.