Attempt to reinstate liquor license rejected

• By SANDY DAVIS
• Advocate staff writer
• Published: Jul 10, 2009 - Page: 5B

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The second time was not the charm for a Metro Council member who tried and failed Thursday to convince a parish board to reinstate a liquor license for a business owner who had lost it for selling alcohol to minors.

Members of the East Baton Rouge Parish Alcoholic Beverage Control Board rejected the plea by Metro Council member Rodney “Smokie” Bourgeois to reinstate the liquor license for Ali Fini, owner of Tiger Express, 300 Lee Drive.

Bourgeois first appealed to the Metro Council at a May meeting to restore Fini’s liquor license.
The council rejected the request.

Bourgeois told the ABC board Thursday he didn’t know Fini, but several residents had contacted him saying Fini deserves a second chance at selling alcohol.

Fini surrendered his license in 2006 after he admitted he had sold alcohol to minors on two occasions over a six-month period, said Mary Roper, the parish attorney.

In 2008, Fini submitted an application for another license, but the board rejected it.
Fini then filed suit in 19th Judicial District Court and won in December 2008, when the state court ordered the board to give Fini the license.

The board filed an appeal of the ruling within 30 days — which means Fini cannot get a license until a state appeal court rules on the matter, Roper said.

Roper said Fini went to the Office of Alcoholicl Beverage Control several days later in February 2009 and asked Debi O’Neil, the former director of the agency, for a temporary license and she issued it to him.

Roper asked O’Neil to rescind the license, and she complied.

Bourgeois said Fini is a “simple man” who had helped residents during Hurricane Gustav by handing out ice.

“While I’m not comparing him to Mother Teresa, he does have somewhat of a good side,” he told the board.

Bourgeois asked the board to give Fini a temporary license until the appeal court rules.

“Mr. Fini is contrite,” Bourgeois said. “He promises to avoid evil in the future.”