Legion hall wins appeal over beer, brawl and barstools

ONSTED. (AP) — An American Legion Hall in Lenawee County is off the hook in a dispute involving beer and a man who was injured when he was pushed over barstools.

The Legion Hall in Onsted, known as Post 550, was sued and accused of serving beer to a drunken member. But the Michigan appeals court looked at the case and reversed a decision by a Lenawee County judge.

The court said “reasonable minds” couldn’t conclude that the bartender served someone who was visibly intoxicated in 2014. The court quotes the bartender as saying the man didn’t appear to be drunk until after the fight.

Greg Mackenzie suffered neck pain and needed surgery because of the barstool incident. A fight erupted when he urged the man to keep conversations to Legion matters.