State v. Beaudry

Janet Beaudry (defendant) and her husband owned the company holding the liquor license for the Village Green Tavern, with Janet as the designated corporate agent under state law. Police found the tavern's manager, Mark Witkowski, and two friends drinking inside around 4:00 a.m., hours after the 1:00 a.m. closing time required by Wisconsin's "open after hours" law. At trial, Witkowski testified that neither Janet nor her husband had authorized him to stay open late -- it was his own idea to serve his friends after hours. The state charged Janet, not Witkowski, and she was convicted; the court of appeals affirmed, and the Wisconsin Supreme Court took the case.