Arkansas State Racing Commission v. Sayler

462 S.W.2d 472, 249 Ark. 913, 1971 Ark. LEXIS 1405
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedFebruary 1, 1971
Docket5-5397
StatusPublished

This text of 462 S.W.2d 472 (Arkansas State Racing Commission v. Sayler) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Arkansas State Racing Commission v. Sayler, 462 S.W.2d 472, 249 Ark. 913, 1971 Ark. LEXIS 1405 (Ark. 1971).

Opinions

J. Fred Jones, Justice.

This is an appeal by the Arkansas Racing Commission from a judgment of the Garland County Circuit Court which reversed an order of the Commission suspending Vernon Sayler from riding as a jockey for infraction of racing rules.

The facts of record appear as follows: On March 30, 1970, near the close of the Spring race meet at Oak-lawn Park in Hot Springs, Jockey Vernon Sayler was to ride a horse named Gypsy Ben in the seventh race. Just before the seventh race was to start, one of the track detectives received a tip that Gypsy Ben in the seventh race would be ridden by Sayler with an electrical shocking device, referred to around race tracks as a “joint” or “buzzer.” By the time this information could be relayed to the race track stewards, the horses for the seventh race had left the paddock and were being paraded toward the starting gate. Sayler was riding Gypsy Ben and Calvin Santage, while acting as “pony boy” for Sayler, rode another horse alongside the thoroughbred Gypsy Ben. It was Santage’s responsibility to hold the bridle bits of Gypsy Ben and help Sayler control the thoroughbred until it was released to the starter to be placed in a stall at the starting gate.

Upon receipt of the information conveyed by the detectives, the stewards directed that Sayler be searched. The detectives went onto the race track and after the horses arrived at the starting gate, they had Gypsy Ben backed from the stall in the starting gate and Sayler was searched. When no electrical device was found on Sayler, they permitted him to remount Gypsy Ben and participate in the seventh race. In the meantime, San-tage had started riding away from the starting gate. He was also required to dismount and was searched. An electrical device was found in Santage’s right jacket pocket and he readily stated that Sayler had placed the device in his pocket as they made a turn to go into the starting gate. Both Sayler and Santage were directed to appear that night before the board of stewards and upon doing so, Santage reiterated in Sayler’s presence, the statement he had made to the detectives. Sayler denied that he had placed the device in Santage’s pocket, and denied that he had ever seen the device or ever knew of its existence.

Sayler and Santage were both suspended and denied the privileges of the grounds by the stewards for violation of Commission Rules 139 and 147 respectively, and their cases were referred to the appellant Racing Commission. Commission Rule 139 is not in the record and the contents of Rule 147 are only referred to in a comment by Commissioner Dr. Springer on page 78 of the transcript. The appellant states in its brief that Rule 139, under which Sayler was charged, reads as follows:

“No person shall conspire with any other person for the commission of, or connive with any other person in any corrupt or fraudulent practice in relation to racing, nor shall he commit such act on his own account.”

The appellant also states that Rule 147, under which Santage was charged, reads as follows:

“No electrical or mechanical device or other expedient designed to increase or decrease the speed of a horse, (or that would tend to do so) other than the ordinary whip or spurs shall be possessed by anyone or applied by anyone to a horse at any time on the grounds of an Association, during a meeting whether in a race or otherwise.”

The authority and jurisdiction of the board of stewards, as well as that of the Racing Commission, to suspend jockeys for the violation of these rules appears to be unquestioned. The suspension order of the stewards was posted at the track on the morning of March 31, 1970, and on the same day, Sayler obtained a temporary restraining order in the Chancery Court of Garland County restraining the Commission from suspending Sayler until such time as he was able to prepare his defense, or until- the matter could be heard on its merits in the chancery court on April 6, 1970 (the last day of the Spring meet at Oaklawn). By letter dated March 31, 1970, Sayler was notified by the Commission that the matter would be heard by the Commission on April 2, 1970, at 10:00 a.m. The letter was received by Sayler on April 1, 1970. Following an evidentiary hearing before the Commission on April 2, the Commission made its decision as follows:

“It is the finding of the Commission that based upon the evidence presented today, April 2, 1970, Jockey Vernon Sayler had possession of a shocking device intended to be used in the 7th race on Monday, March 30, 1970.
The Commission candidly acknowledged that there is no way to prove to a mathematical certainty whether Jockey Vernon Sayler had the shocking device, but the evidence presented before the Commission this morning indicates, in the Commission’s judgment, that Vernon Sayler did, in fact, have a shocking device in his possession.
It is, therefore, the decision of the Commission that Jockey Vernon Sayler shall be and is hereby suspended indefinitely with the further provision that prior to the beginning of the 1971 racing season at Oaklawn Jockey Club, Hot Springs, Arkansas, the Commission will at that time review again the question of whether Jockey Vernon Sayler shall be reinstated to good standing.
The Commission further finds that if Jockey Vernon Sayler were to submit to examination by polygraph and said examination results in a finding by the Examiner that Jockey Vernon Sayler had no guilty knowledge of the shocking device in the 7 th race Monday, March 30, 1970, the Commission at that time will set aside this suspension and reinstate Jockey Vernon Sayler to good standing.”

Alleging jurisdiction under Ark. Stat. Ann. § 5-713 (Supp. 1969), Sayler filed his petition in the Garland County Circuit Court for a review of the adjudication of the Commission. The Commission filed its response admitting jurisdiction and on April 30, 1970, the circuit court entered the order appealed from as follows:

"Now on this 30th day of April, 1970, came on to be heard the above entitled cause, the Petitioner appearing through his attorneys, Anderson and Slagle, and the Respondent appearing through David Lewis, its attorney, and from the argument of counsel, and the record of the proceedings against the Petitioner, before the Arkansas State Racing Commission, the Court doth find:
1. That the Commission failed to comply with the notice and hearing requirements of Section 5-708 of the Arkansas Statutes,
2. That the Commission’s Order granting reinstatement upon favorable results of polygraph tests is an improper delegation of ■ the Commission’s authority granted by the Legislature.
3. That the Commission’s findings, inferences and decision were not supported by substantial evidence of record, were arbitrary and characterized by abuse of discretion.

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Related

§ 5-701
Arkansas § 5-701
§ 5-708
Arkansas § 5-708
§ 5-713
Arkansas § 5-713
§ 84-2734
Arkansas § 84-2734
§ 84-2742
Arkansas § 84-2742(A)
§ 84-2745
Arkansas § 84-2745

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Bluebook (online)
462 S.W.2d 472, 249 Ark. 913, 1971 Ark. LEXIS 1405, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/arkansas-state-racing-commission-v-sayler-ark-1971.