Friar Tuck’s Bar may be temporarily closing early in 2011. A hearing in front of the New Orleans Alcohol Control Board took place on Nov. 16 and resulted in Friar Tuck’s being forced to pay a $500 fine and to close for 30 days starting Jan. 14. Owner Jason Blitch plans on appealing the case. Blitch, however, declined to comment on the matter.

Police raided the bar on June 17 after receiving a report that underage drinking was taking place inside of the bar. Sgt. Samuel Palumbo of the New Orleans Police Department said at the hearing that he and Detective Stephen Rodrigue entered the bar in plain clothing to investigate the matter. Their I.D.’s were not checked at the door or at the bar when they ordered a pitcher of beer.

Rodrigue said that he observed the majority of people in the bar drinking alcohol, but did not see anyone get their ID checked at the bar. A call was put in for more officers to come to the bar and patrons were put in lines and had their ID’s checked individually, according to Palumbo.

The police report said there were 47 people under the age of 21 found in the bar. Friar Tuck’s was also found in violation of New Orleans city code 10-157(3) which prevents bars from, “Allowing or permitting any person under the age of 18 years to visit or loiter on any premises where alcoholic beverages are served.”

City prosecutors said that the underage crowd at Friar Tuck’s was overwhelming.

“It doesn’t seem to be, that at least on June 17, 2010, it was an establishment for adults. It looked like a teen club where alcohol was served,” the prosecutor said.

The attorney for the bar, Thomas Milliner, said in his opening statement at the Nov. 16 hearing that the case is not as simple as it may seem.

“This is a tale with a different twist, the evidence will show that in this case the permitee did everything correctly and that the police did everything incorrectly,” Milliner said. “That’s a heavy statement and one that I do not make lightly.”

Milliner said that Friar Tuck’s 16 camera surveillance system caught important scenes that night that show the security personnel of the bar checking ID’s table to table and police admitting a 16 year old into the bar despite the objections of security personnel.

The ruling is not yet final, as Friar Tuck’s plans to appeal the case.

Sam Winstrom can be reached at [email protected]