A company that owns a restaurant in Stratham was sentenced Friday in a Rockingham County courtroom for its role in a crash that killed three people in 2016.The owner of the Jade Palace was convicted of serving an underage patron who then got behind the wheel of a car in February 2016. Representing Alan Yang LLC, the company that owns the restaurant, Alan Yang listened in court Friday as prosecutors recommended that his business be fined $100,000.Malachi Davis, 21; Hunter Vars, 21; and Jack Perrault, 20, were killed in the crash."You stole the love of my life Mr. Yang, my son, my only child in this world," said Debra Vars, the mother of victim Hunter Vars. "I can only hope and pray that you feel the pain that we do one day."Prosecutors argued that the Jade Palace was guilty of previous liquor violations, and a message needed to be sent. Defense attorneys said the previous violations weren't excessive and noted that the jury acquitted the business of overserving."What the court should know is that they're not the corporate monster, faceless monster that the state wants them to be," defense attorney Jerome Blanchard said. "They're not any different in general from any liquor establishment that's been in business for a long time."Blanchard said the families have lawsuits pending and called those the appropriate places for monetary penalties.The judge ruled that the business can choose to pay a $100,000 fine plus a penalty assessment or go on three years' probation. If it chooses probation, it then must either make a $25,000 donation to a charity that works to prevent the overserving of alcohol or give up its liquor license for a year.If the restaurant chooses a probation option, it would be subject to the larger fine if it violates any liquor laws during its probation.

A company that owns a restaurant in Stratham was sentenced Friday in a Rockingham County courtroom for its role in a crash that killed three people in 2016.



The owner of the Jade Palace was convicted of serving an underage patron who then got behind the wheel of a car in February 2016. Representing Alan Yang LLC, the company that owns the restaurant, Alan Yang listened in court Friday as prosecutors recommended that his business be fined $100,000.


Malachi Davis, 21; Hunter Vars, 21; and Jack Perrault, 20, were killed in the crash.

"You stole the love of my life Mr. Yang, my son, my only child in this world," said Debra Vars, the mother of victim Hunter Vars. "I can only hope and pray that you feel the pain that we do one day."

Prosecutors argued that the Jade Palace was guilty of previous liquor violations, and a message needed to be sent. Defense attorneys said the previous violations weren't excessive and noted that the jury acquitted the business of overserving.

"What the court should know is that they're not the corporate monster, faceless monster that the state wants them to be," defense attorney Jerome Blanchard said. "They're not any different in general from any liquor establishment that's been in business for a long time."

Blanchard said the families have lawsuits pending and called those the appropriate places for monetary penalties.

The judge ruled that the business can choose to pay a $100,000 fine plus a penalty assessment or go on three years' probation. If it chooses probation, it then must either make a $25,000 donation to a charity that works to prevent the overserving of alcohol or give up its liquor license for a year.

If the restaurant chooses a probation option, it would be subject to the larger fine if it violates any liquor laws during its probation.