Iowa City's Bo James bar to lose liquor license for 30 days

An administrative law judge ruled Monday that the liquor license of Iowa City bar Bo James be suspended for 30 days beginning March 29.

The suspension stems from a Jan. 30 alcohol compliance check that found two 20-year-olds got into the bar and bought beers without having their ages checked.

At a Nov. 24 hearing, according to documents from the Alcoholic Beverage Division, bar owner Leah Cohen said IDs are checked only at the door and not by bartenders, since the bar admits only people over 21 after 7 p.m.

Judge Laura Lockard said that system was flawed.

“The downfall of using a door person to check IDs is that if the door person is not vigilant, the whole system breaks down,” she said.

Cohen said she thinks Bo James has “really strong” regulations, and she will appeal the decision.

She argued that the two 20-year-olds who were assisting with the compliance check saw that the doorman was distracted, so they sneaked through - something Cohen claimed was unfair.

Lockard also ordered that Bo James be fined $1,500. The bar has until March 3 to file an appeal.