By Audrey Levine Staff Writer
MANVILLE — Additional charges from the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) are pending for Uncle Davey’s Tavern owner David Kiernan, after he was taken into custody Monday on charges of assault and serving alcohol to someone under the age of 21.
Manville police Lt. John Crater said the arrest stems from two separate incidents on Aug. 23.
According to Lt. Crater, a 20-year-old woman was found intoxicated in the parking lot of the tavern at 12:48 a.m. Aug. 23, and a patron later reported that, at 1:57 a.m., Mr. Kiernan, of Union, sprayed him with mace and assaulted him at the bar.
Lt. Crater said Mr. Kiernan was also found to have an $812 outstanding warrant out of Warren County when he was taken into custody.
Mr. Kiernan was released after posting $1,000 bail for the Aug. 23 incidents, and $812 for the warrants.
”But numerous ABC charges are pending from the incident,” Lt. Crater said. As of Wednesday, the possible charges had not been released.
Uncle Davey’s Tavern is currently open pending Mr. Kiernan’s appeal of the Borough Council’s February decision to suspend his liquor license for 390 days after he was found guilty of nine liquor law violations.
According to New Jersey State law, a liquor license can be revoked if the licensee violates any laws or regulations.
The charges had been filed by the borough in December in response to a Nov. 3 incident in which Mr. Kiernan had assaulted a bar patron.
Mr. Kiernan was charged with three counts of simple assault, four charges of hindering a police investigation, one count of serving alcohol to an apparently intoxicated person and one count of being intoxicated himself on the licensed premises.
The Borough Council unanimously voted to suspend his license for 180 days for the simple assault charges; 180 days for the hindering charges; 15 days for serving alcohol to an already intoxicated individual; and 15 days for being intoxicated on the licensed premises.
After an appeal was filed by Skip Reale, Mr. Kiernan’s attorney, the ABC determined that the tavern could remain open during the appeal process.
Mr. Reale has said that the appeal process could take up to two years. As part of the appeal, Mr. Reale has requested that the ABC convert the suspension into a fine.

