Fines imposed against Dockside for serving alcohol to 15 underage people

Acting as the city’s Board of License Commissioners, members of Newport City Council on Wednesday night voted to fine Waite’s Wharf Grille, LLC d/b/a/ The Boat Dockside $3,750 for providing alcohol to multiple persons under the legal drinking age.

Newport Police Chief Ryan Duffy outlined the June 7, 2024 incident in a letter to Acting City Manager Robert Schultz, where he states that he sent plain-clothed officers to Dockside after “receiving information that The Dockside has been a destination for underage drinking.”

In the letter, Chief Duffy said that they found a significant number of patrons at The Dockside consuming alcohol who were underage and that “there would have been many more summonses issued and the only reason we did not issue more was that we didn’t have enough officers available to issue the summonses as the underage crowd dispersed”.

In total, there were 15 arrests: eight with fake IDs and seven without IDs.

“We have not had this many underage drinking summonses from one establishment in recent memory,” Chief Duffy wrote in the letter. “This investigation began with several community complaints of pervasive underage drinking. The investigation seemed to confirm the allegation and therefore I present these facts to you for your consideration to. share with Council in their role as Board of License Commissioners.

The complaint from Acting City Manager Schultz alleged that the “licensees did sell and or serve alcoholic beverages to (15) under-aged persons, in violation of Section 3-8-1 of the Rhode Island General Laws, Section 5.12.060 (F) (!5) and (H) and 9.04.010 of the Codified Ordinances of the City of Newport, Rhode Island”.

Dockside admitted to the violations through an attorney and agreed that these charges were serious.

The Board of License Commissioners unanimously voted 6-0 (with Councilor Dave Carlin absent) to fine Dockside $3,750, which the recommended amount by City Solicitor Christopher Behan.

Other actions the Board of License Commissioners could have taken on the item included a fine in an amount of their choosing and/or suspending or revoking the business’s Class BV liquor license.

Although Dockside is a first-time offender, this is an adjudicating offense against Dockside. According to City Solicitor Behan, any other violations of this nature could result in suspension or revocation of the Class BV liquor license.

Each underage person summoned/cited during the incident could be charged with a fine of $150 – $750 for a first-time offense, according to Rhode Island Law § 3-8-10. Possession of beverage by underage persons.

Any person who has not reached his or her twenty-first (21st) birthday and has in his or her possession any beverage as defined in this title shall be fined one hundred fifty dollars ($150) to seven hundred fifty dollars ($750) for the first offense, three hundred dollars ($300) to seven hundred fifty dollars ($750) for the second offense, and four hundred fifty dollars ($450) to nine hundred fifty dollars ($950) for the third or subsequent offense. In addition, any person who violates this section shall be required to perform thirty (30) hours of community service and shall be subject to a minimum sixty (60) day suspension of his or her driver’s license, and upon a second offense may be ordered to undergo a substance abuse assessment by a licensed substance abuse professional.

Watch the Show Cause Hearing below.

The Board of License Commissioners was provided with the following documents.

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