City of Kenosha v. Bruno

Appellees, owners of retail liquor establishments, were holders of tavern liquor licenses1 issued under Wisconsin law by appellants, the cities of Racine and Kenosha. Acting pursuant to Wis. Stat. Ann. §§ 176.05 (1), (8) (1957 and Supp. 1973), the cities denied appellees’ applications for renewal of their one-year licenses after holding public “legislative” hearings. Alleging, inter alia, deprivations of their Fourteenth Amendment procedural due process rights in such denials and, by amended complaints, the unconstitutionality of §§ 176.05 (1), (8), appellees brought these federal civil…