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Updated at 9:26 a.m. Tuesday: The liquor commission hearing resheduled for Thursday was canceled. The Office Tap Owner John Murphy will pay a fine of $250 instead of hosting a hearing for more information on the Dec. 9 incident.
A liquor commission hearing was held Feb. 16 for an incident that occurred at the Office Tap Dec. 9.
Adam Bowton, The Office Tap Owner John Murphy’s attorney, asked for more time to prepare, as he was not hired until Feb. 15.
The hearing was rescheduled for Thursday, but Murphy decided to pay a fine of $250 and the hearing was canceled.
Due to the TimesNewspapers printing schedule, the article in the Feb. 22 issue of the Morton Times-News states the hearing was postponed. Information about the cancelation was not presented until after the printing deadline.
According to police reports, William Wiker, 26, of Morton entered The Office Tap highly intoxicated with a friend.
Bartender Keri Young allegedly served Wiker one drink in the beer garden.
Wiker and his friend were at the bar for about 45 minutes, according to police reports, when Wiker entered the beer garden and asked, “Who wants to fight?”
According to witnesses, Wiker took off his coat, took a knife out of his pocket and rushed toward a male patron, who had been smoking a cigarette.
The patron wrestled Wiker to the ground and others disarmed him.
The patron was cut on the cheek by Wiker.
Wiker was taken to OSF Saint Francis Medical Center and treated for cuts on his hands. He was arrested for aggravated battery.
According to state law and liquor ordinances, it is a bartender’s duty to refuse service to a patron who appears to be highly intoxicated.
“Someone is issued a liquor license that is pursuant to state and liquor ordinances. They have rules they have to follow,” Village Attorney Tom Davies said. “The part we’re talking about in question is that if somebody arrives there and is very intoxicated — One, should you even let them in? And, two, should you give them more alcohol?
“It appears that’s what happened here,” he added.
Davies said the liquor commission hearing is not to prosecute anyone, but to get more information from the witnesses.
“We want more specific information from people who were in the tavern who saw (Wiker) come in, what his condition was, and what did he do?
“It’s not the fight itself, it appears once it broke out, they called the police.”
Updated at 9:26 a.m. Tuesday: The liquor commission hearing resheduled for Thursday was canceled. The Office Tap Owner John Murphy will pay a fine of $250 instead of hosting a hearing for more information on the Dec. 9 incident.
A liquor commission hearing was held Feb. 16 for an incident that occurred at the Office Tap Dec. 9.
Adam Bowton, The Office Tap Owner John Murphy’s attorney, asked for more time to prepare, as he was not hired until Feb. 15.
The hearing was rescheduled for Thursday, but Murphy decided to pay a fine of $250 and the hearing was canceled.
Due to the TimesNewspapers printing schedule, the article in the Feb. 22 issue of the Morton Times-News states the hearing was postponed. Information about the cancelation was not presented until after the printing deadline.
According to police reports, William Wiker, 26, of Morton entered The Office Tap highly intoxicated with a friend.
Bartender Keri Young allegedly served Wiker one drink in the beer garden.
Wiker and his friend were at the bar for about 45 minutes, according to police reports, when Wiker entered the beer garden and asked, “Who wants to fight?”
According to witnesses, Wiker took off his coat, took a knife out of his pocket and rushed toward a male patron, who had been smoking a cigarette.
The patron wrestled Wiker to the ground and others disarmed him.
The patron was cut on the cheek by Wiker.
Wiker was taken to OSF Saint Francis Medical Center and treated for cuts on his hands. He was arrested for aggravated battery.
According to state law and liquor ordinances, it is a bartender’s duty to refuse service to a patron who appears to be highly intoxicated.
“Someone is issued a liquor license that is pursuant to state and liquor ordinances. They have rules they have to follow,” Village Attorney Tom Davies said. “The part we’re talking about in question is that if somebody arrives there and is very intoxicated — One, should you even let them in? And, two, should you give them more alcohol?
“It appears that’s what happened here,” he added.
Davies said the liquor commission hearing is not to prosecute anyone, but to get more information from the witnesses.
“We want more specific information from people who were in the tavern who saw (Wiker) come in, what his condition was, and what did he do?
“It’s not the fight itself, it appears once it broke out, they called the police.”
Murphy was notified Jan. 9 of the Feb. 16 hearing.
Davies said The Office Tap could have been fined up to $750 or have had its liquor license suspended or revoked.
Davies said in his more than 30 years in Morton, they have never had a liquor commission hearing.
The Office Tap has had no major incidences in the past, but a similar incident to the Dec. 9 fight occurred Feb. 3.
According to police reports a patron of The Office Tap was heading to the beer garden to smoke a cigarette.
The bar was crowded and according to the report, a male patron, later identified as Tyson Hebb, was in his way.
The patron placed his hand on Hebb’s back and said, “Excuse me,” so he could get by, according to the report.
The patron said in the report the next thing he remembered was getting struck on the left side of his face with a glass mug by Hebb.
Hebb was later arrested for aggravated battery.
Davies said Tuesday the Feb. 3 incident is being investigated.
