Store owner Margaret Lawrence reacts

BOISE - For years the Hollywood Market in Boise's North End has sold beer and wine - but starting in August, the business will have to suspend the sales for three months.

That's because Idaho State Police cited the owner for selling alcohol to a minor.

Margaret Lawrence, the owner of Hollywood Market stopped by NewsChannel 7 today because she says she feels targeted by police.

“Obviously if someone has a past record of problems we'll probably go back and visit them,” ISP spokesman Rick Ohnsman said. “It’s my understanding that this is their third offense in three years, so there is some kind of problem at that particular establishment.”

Ohnsman says multiple violations at one business is not uncommon across the area.

“When we send out youth and do our compliance checks statewide we see about 28 percent noncompliance and that’s way too high,” Ohnsman said.

ISP conducts several undercover compliance checks each year and during one of those checks Lawrence received her latest violation.

“I may have made a mistake but certainly it wasn't on purpose and I don't desire to hurt anybody,” Lawrence said. “I have been here for 30 years and I always try to do right.”

Lawrence says the minor purchased Mike's Hard Lemonade but she thought it was just lemonade - a common mistake made with many drinks according to Idaho State Police.

“One of the things we are seeing is all kinds of new types of alcohol that blur the line of what is alcohol and what is not,” Ohnsman said. “It becomes difficult to look at this and decide if this is the non-alcoholic energy drink or the alcoholic one.”

But Ohnsman says having a liquor license also means having the responsibility of learning to distinguish between the packaging and when in doubt he says ask for ID.

Margaret says she will continue to ID shoppers but she's worried the 90-day suspension could hurt the bottom line.

“It will affect my business tremendously,” she said.

Idaho State Police say they work to train businesses in order to avoid suspension and ultimately their goal is safety. 

On Tuesday, Nampa Police conducted a special seven-hour operation and cited 10 employees at 10 different businesses for selling alcohol to minors.