Three businesses punished by Jackson Beer Board for selling alcohol to minors

JACKSON, Tenn. — Three Jackson businesses appeared before the City Beer Board to hear their fates after allegedly selling alcohol to underage customers.

“What we do is the police department periodically goes by retail stores to check and see if they’re properly identifying underage drinkers. In this case, three people sold to underage drinkers,” said Lewis Cobb, city attorney for Jackson.

The three convenience stores on South Highland met with the Jackson Beer Board Wednesday morning.

Exxon and BP gas stations at the intersection of South Highland and Edwards Drive and the Mobil gas station on South Highland and Overton Drive are accused of selling alcohol to underage customers.

“Each time they admitted that they did it, they had various reasons, excuses, and the board decided to fine each one of them the amount for first violations,” Cobb said.

One business owner said he was distracted by his grandson and other customers, while another business said they had technical issues with a register, and the third business said the person who rang up the transaction wasn’t supposed to be at the register.

The board gave all three businesses the option to either pay a fine or have their beer permits suspended for 30 days.

One took the suspension, while the other two took the fine.

Cobb says businesses can get equipment to identify customers.

“There’s now fairly inexpensive scanners. Put the drivers license in the scanner, the scanner automatically reads and detects the age and detects whether or not the person’s ID is under or over 21,” Cobb said.

WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News also asked the businesses accused of infractions for comment on the hearing’s outcome, but all three declined to comment.