Two Shore Bars Risk License Suspensions

Two popular shore gathering spots might be forced to temporarily stop serving alcohol, charged with violations by the New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

Operators of the Forked River House in Lacey Township are accused of serving an "actually or apparently intoxicated" customer on six occasions between August 2012 and March 2013.

Porta in Asbury Park is charged with serving underage drinkers twice within a month during summer 2012.

State regulators seek a 180-day suspension for Forked River House and 60 days for Porta.

Each can enter pleas of guilty, not guilty, or no contest, authorities said. If either is found guilty, dispensing of alcohol would be banned for the duration of any suspension.

According to information from the office of ABC Director Michael Halfacre, inebriated patrons who left the Forked River House were later charged with driving while intoxicated by local police departments.

In each case, authorities alleged blood alcohol content ranged between .15 percent and .21 percent. The legal limit in New Jersey is .08 percent.

In a prepared release, Halfacre said that road safety begins with responsible bar and restaurant policies. "Owning a liquor license in New Jersey can be a fantastic investment, but that license brings with it many responsibilities, including making sure that your customers are not being served to a point of intoxication," he said.

Two undercover investigations led to the charges against operators of Porta. According to the ABC, investigators arrested two 20-year-old women on June 9, 2012, and another 20-year-old woman a month later.

Halfacre says that the "Cops In Shops" summer shore initiative has yielded 42 arrests so far this season. The grant program covers the cost for local police to target underage drinkers and buyers at liquor stores.