Childs v. State

816 P.2d 1079, 107 Nev. 584, 1991 Nev. LEXIS 145
CourtNevada Supreme Court
DecidedSeptember 6, 1991
Docket21373
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 816 P.2d 1079 (Childs v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nevada Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Childs v. State, 816 P.2d 1079, 107 Nev. 584, 1991 Nev. LEXIS 145 (Neb. 1991).

Opinions

OPINION

By the Court,

Young, J.:

This is an appeal from a judgment of conviction, pursuant to a jury verdict, of one count of cheating at gambling and one count of burglary. Appellant’s convictions stem from his activities in John Ascuaga’s Nugget in Sparks, Nevada, on December 10, 1989. Karen M. Fleiner, an operations manager for the casino, testified at trial that she observed appellant through a monitor as he played a slot machine. Fleiner saw appellant jerk on the handle of the slot machine in such a way that one of the three reels would [585]*585stop spinning prematurely. As soon as she observed this “handle popping,” Fleiner called the Gaming Control Board.

Agent Robert Johnson arrived at the casino in response to Fleiner’s call. Agent Johnson watched appellant directly for approximately five minutes and did not see any use of the slot machine which Agent Johnson considered illegal. Agent Johnson then observed appellant through the monitor and saw appellant “freeze the reels” several times.

The jury found appellant guilty of one count of cheating at gambling and one count of burglary. NRS 465.070(7), 205.060. The district court sentenced appellant to serve two concurrent terms of six years in the Nevada State Prison. On appeal, appellant contends that NRS 465.070(7) is unconstitutionally vague and therefore asks this court to reverse his convictions.

In 1989, this court addressed the issue of whether NRS 465.015 was unconstitutionally vague as applied to handle popping.1 Lyons v. State, 105 Nev. 317, 775 P.2d 219 (1989). This court set forth the standard to be applied as follows:

As previously noted in Harriss [United States v. Harriss, 347 U.S. 612 (1954)], persons are deemed to have been given fair notice of a criminal offense if the statutorily proscribed conduct has been described with sufficient clarity to be understood by individuals of ordinary intelligence. 347 U.S. at 617. See also United States v. Hogue, 752 F.2d 1503, 1504 (9th Cir. 1985). And statutes challenged for vagueness are evaluated on an as-applied basis where, as here, first amendment interests are not implicated. Maynard v. Cartwright, 108 S.Ct. 1853, 1858 (1988).

Lyons 105 Nev. at 320, 775 P.2d at 221.

Applying this standard to NRS 465.015, this court first determined that the statute was intended to prevent “knowing, purposeful, unlawful conduct designed to alter the criteria that determines the outcome of any lawful gambling activity.” Lyons, 105 Nev. at 321, 775 P.2d at 221. As an example of this type of activity, we mentioned card crimping, which we had previously held to be prohibited by NRS 465.015. See Sheriff v. Martin, 99 Nev. 336, 662 P.2d 634 (1983). We stated that card crimping, like the use of special tools or devices, constituted cheating because it alters “both the nature of the game and the criteria for winning.” Lyons, 105 Nev. at 321, 775 P.2d at 221.

[586]*586In contrast to these activities, we discussed card counting and taking advantage of a dealer’s unintentional revelation of his cards. Concluding that neither act violated NRS 465.015, we stated:

In both cases, the players simply exploit what their skills and the play of the game will afford them. And yet, they are altering the usual criteria, i.e., the characteristic complex or standard of play that determines the frequency of payment.

Id. Noting that handle popping “neither damages nor mechanically alters a slot machine,” this court emphasized that an innocent novice could stumble across the technique and use it just as effectively as a professional. Id. Analogizing the slot machine manipulator to a person who takes advantage of a dealer’s unintentional revelation of his cards, we concluded that slot machine handle manipulators simply take advantage of what the slot machines give them. Handle manipulation, we concluded, does not alter the “physical characteristics and potential pay offs of slot machines.” Lyons, 105 Nev. at 322, 775 P.2d at 222.

Next, we discussed the element of intent, reviewing our previous comments on the subject in Sheriff v. Martin, 99 Nev. 336, 662 P.2d 634 (1983), in which we recognized fraudulent intent as an element of cheating under NRS 465.015. Continuing our discussion of Sheriff v. Martin, we stated:

Moreover, we also observed that “the attributes of the game — its established physical characteristics and basic rules — determine the probabilities of the game’s various possible outcomes. Changing those attributes to affect those probabilities is a criminal act.” [99 Nev. at 341]; 662 P.2d at 638. Games in the form of slot machines have established physical characteristics that are not altered by handle popping. Furthermore, we are unaware of any rules, written or otherwise, directing slot machine patrons to pull the handles in a specific manner. Certain gaming sophisticates — such as Lyons — would undoubtedly manipulate handles with a form of scienter because of their awareness that the procedure forms a basis for criminal prosecution in Nevada. Others . . . who stumble across a more favorable method of play, will handle pop without an intent to cheat or defraud. It is clear however, that crime categories do not materialize or disappear on an ad hoc basis because of the presence or absence of scienter. Public offenses are defined by statute, ordinance or the common law. See NRS 193.050.

Lyons, 105 Nev. at 322, 775 P.2d at 222 (emphasis added).

In apparent response to our decision in Lyons, the legislature [587]*587amended NRS 465.070 to add subsection 7.2 NRS 465.070 provides in pertinent part:

It is unlawful for any person:
7.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
816 P.2d 1079, 107 Nev. 584, 1991 Nev. LEXIS 145, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/childs-v-state-nev-1991.