§281-17  Jurisdiction and powers.  (a) 
The liquor commission, within its own county, shall have the sole jurisdiction,
power, authority, and discretion, subject only to this chapter:



(1)  To grant, refuse, suspend, and revoke any
licenses for the manufacture, importation, and sale of liquors;



(2)  To take appropriate action against a person who,
directly or indirectly, manufactures, sells, or purchases any liquor without
being authorized pursuant to this chapter; provided that in counties which have
established by charter a liquor control adjudication board, the board shall
have the jurisdiction, power, authority, and discretion to hear and determine
administrative complaints of the director regarding violations of the liquor
laws of the State or of the rules of the liquor commission, and impose
penalties for violations thereof as may be provided by law;



(3)  To control, supervise, and regulate the
manufacture, importation, and sale of liquors by investigation, enforcement,
and education; provided that any educational program shall be limited to the
commission staff, commissioners, liquor control adjudication board members,
licensees and their employees and shall be financed through the money collected
from the assessment of fines against licensees; provided that fine moneys, not
to exceed ten per cent a year of fines accumulated, may be used to fund public
liquor related educational or enforcement programs;



(4)  From time to time to make, amend, and repeal such
rules, not inconsistent with this chapter, as in the judgment of the commission
seem appropriate for carrying out this chapter and for the efficient
administration thereof, and the proper conduct of the business of all
licensees, including every matter or thing required to be done or which may be
done with the approval or consent or by order or under the direction or
supervision of or as prescribed by the commission; which rules, when adopted as
provided in chapter 91 shall have the force and effect of law;



(5)  Subject to chapter 76, to appoint and remove an
administrator, who may also be appointed an investigator and who shall be
responsible for the operations and activities of the staff.  The administrator
may hire and remove hearing officers, investigators, and clerical or other
assistants as its business may from time to time require, to prescribe their
duties, and fix their compensation; to engage the services of experts and
persons engaged in the practice of a profession, if deemed expedient.  Every
investigator, within the scope of the investigator's duties, shall have the
powers of a police officer;



(6)  To limit the number of licenses of any class or
kind within the county, or the number of licenses of any class or kind to do
business in any given locality, when in the judgment of the commission such
limitations are in the public interest;



(7)  To prescribe the nature of the proof to be
furnished, the notices to be given, and the conditions to be met or observed in
case of the issuance of a duplicate license in place of one alleged to have
been lost or destroyed, including a requirement of any indemnity deemed
appropriate to the case;



(8)  To fix the hours between which licensed premises
of any class or classes may regularly be open for the transaction of business,
which shall be uniform throughout the county as to each class respectively;



(9)  To prescribe all forms to be used for the
purposes of this chapter not otherwise provided for in this chapter, and the
character and manner of keeping of books, records, and accounts to be kept by
licensees in any matter pertaining to their business;



(10)  To investigate violations of this chapter,
chapter 244D and, notwithstanding any law to the contrary, violations of the
applicable department of health's allowable noise levels, through its
investigators or otherwise, to include covert operations, and to report
violations to the prosecuting officer for prosecution and, where appropriate,
the director of taxation to hear and determine complaints against any licensee;



(11)  To prescribe, by rule, the terms, conditions, and
circumstances under which persons or any class of persons may be employed by
holders of licenses;



(12)  To prescribe, by rule, the term of any license or
solicitor's and representative's permit authorized by this chapter, the annual
or prorated amount, the manner of payment of fees for the licenses and permits,
and the amount of filing fees; and



(13) To prescribe, by rule, the circumstances
and penalty for the unauthorized manufacturing or selling of any liquor.



(b)  Subject only to this chapter, the
commission or board and each member thereof shall have the same powers
respecting the administering of oaths, compelling the attendance of witnesses
and the production of documentary evidence, and examining the witnesses as are
possessed by a circuit court, except that the commission or board and each
member thereof shall not be bound by the strict legal rules of evidence.  In
addition, the commission or board shall have the power to require the
production of, and to examine any books, papers, and records of any licensee
which may pertain to the licensee's business under the license or which may
pertain to a matter at a hearing before the commission or board or to an
investigation by the commission or board.



The exercise by the commission or board of the
power, authority, and discretion vested in it pursuant to this chapter shall be
final and shall not be reviewable by or appealable to any court or tribunal,
except as otherwise provided in this chapter or chapter 91. [L Sp 1933, c 40,
§8; RL 1935, §2577; am L 1935, c 105, §§4, 5; am L 1937, c 211, §5; am L Sp
1941, c 41, §2; RL 1945, §7228; RL 1955, §159-16; am L 1961, c 92, §1; am L
1963, c 172, §2(e); am L 1965, c 31, §1(3) and c 96, §96; HRS §281-17; am L
1969, c 225, §1(a), (b); am L 1973, c 31, §21; am L 1985, c 109, §1; am L 1986,
c 344, §13; am L 1987, c 223, §1; am L 1990, c 171, §6; am L 1998, c 249, §8;
am L 2000, c 253, §150; am L 2002, c 111, §3; am L 2003, c 3, §8 and c 69, §4;
am L 2009, c 184, §4]



 



Cross References



 



  Criminal history record checks, see §846-2.7.



  Review, see §§91-14, 281-92.



 



Case Notes



 



  Commission action, reviewability.  40 H. 485.



  Provisions of this section inconsistent with county charter
provisions are superseded.  59 H. 65, 576 P.2d 1029.



  Section grants very broad authority to county liquor
commission to adopt rules to abolish racially discriminatory practices by
liquor licensees.  69 H. 238, 738 P.2d 1205.