Taps at three downtown bars may soon run dry after a judge upheld the decision to not renew their shared liquor license, citing a history of violations and a murder on one premises.

District Judge David Grine supported the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board's July decision to decline to renew local corporation Sammark Inc.'s liquor license, which covers three establishments on South Pugh Street: Lulu's Nightspot, 129 1/2 S. Pugh St.; Tony's Big Easy, 129 S. Pugh St.; and the Candy Bar & Lounge, 129 S. Pugh St., according to court documents.

Grine wrote in his order the PLCB was within its rights when it denied the license and supported taking the 2006 fatal stabbing of Penn State student Michael Donahue at Club Love, now known as Lulu's Nightspot, into consideration.

The PCLB did not renew Sammark's license "based on a pattern of cited violations and risk of safety to the public," according to court documents. The board detailed multiple happy hour violations, a noise violation and the sale of alcohol to minors in its original findings of fact.

Tony Sapia, Sammark's president, pleaded his case to Grine at an Oct. 23 hearing, telling the judge all his employees undergo Responsible Alcohol Management Program training and that he has always fully cooperated with police.

Sapia referred all comment to his attorney.