Crocodile Rock Liquor License Denied

In a ruling, Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson upheld previous decisions by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board and Lehigh County Court, writing the club had been “disturbingly casual about the safety of its clients and the public,” according to court documents obtained by the Morning Call.

The decision stemmed from incidents including reports of assaults inside the club, the arrest of a concertgoer with pepper spray, a shooting in a public parking lot near the venue following a concert, plus infractions such as bounced checks and serving alcohol to a minor, the paper reported.

Crocodile Rock’s owner was informed that existing security measures were inadequate, but the owner failed to hire additional security staff and add security cameras, the opinion says.

“As it did not implement a single measure designed to increase exterior security, Licensee wholly failed to prove any substantial and affirmative measures to justify license renewal,” Simpson wrote.

An attorney for the venue told the Morning Call he hadn’t yet discussed with the venue the prospect of an appeal to the state Supreme Court.

The Crocodile Rock filed a lawsuit last year against SLP Concerts after the promoter shifted shows to other venues and SLP responded with legal action of its own.

The venue and the promoter have since dropped their suits, the paper said.?