People ex rel. Barrett v. Fritz

45 N.E.2d 48, 316 Ill. App. 217, 1942 Ill. App. LEXIS 721
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedOctober 30, 1942
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 45 N.E.2d 48 (People ex rel. Barrett v. Fritz) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People ex rel. Barrett v. Fritz, 45 N.E.2d 48, 316 Ill. App. 217, 1942 Ill. App. LEXIS 721 (Ill. Ct. App. 1942).

Opinion

Mr. Justice Stone

delivered the opinion of the court.

On the 3rd day of December, 1940, the Attorney General of the State of Illinois in his official capacity, filed in the circuit court of St. Clair county his certain complaint in equity directed against defendants charging them with conspiring, confederating, and agreeing to commit and committing public nuisances, which were alleged to exist throughout the State of Illinois. Such alleged nuisances were alleged to consist of open and notorious violations of the gambling laws of Illinois, with reference to the operation of gambling houses and clubs, “pin ball” machines, slot machines, bookmaldng, and pool selling, and many other alleged violations in connection with and as part and parcel of such practices.

The complaint is a large document. It originally named 1358 defendants. By amendments other defendants were added until said complaint as amended contains in round numbers 1400 defendants. These defendants have their domiciles in all parts of the State. Many who do not live in Illinois are referred to as conspirators. Many institutions such as newspapers, telephone and telegraph companies and others are made parties defendant. Upon the presentation of this amended complaint to the trial court, on motion of plaintiff a temporary injunction was ordered without notice granting the relief prayed in the complaint. The temporary injunction was issued and served in pursuance thereof. Most of the defendants answered the complaint. Some two dozen defendants whose names appear in the record but are not recited here filed motions to dismiss the complaint and dissolve the injunction. They also filed motions for change of venue.

Upon hearing, all of these motions were denied. Such defendants elected to stand by their motions and refused to plead further. The trial court then entered its decree on the pleadings finding the defendants guilty of the offenses charged in the complaint and making the injunction permanent as to them.

From this decree said defendants have appealed to this court.

The Attorney General contends that said complaint charges in apt words, substantially as follows: 1 ‘ That the named defendants and others named in the complaint entered into combinations, conspiracies and agreements with each other to:

(a) Own, operate or maintain 'bookmaldng and pool selling establishments, and to furnish the paraphernalia, equipment and services in connection therewith, contrary to law.

(b) Own, operate or maintain gambling houses and clubs contrary to law.

(c) Own, operate or maintain slot and ‘pin ball’ machines contrary to law.

Said conspiracies, combinations and agreements to be consummated in full or in part in St. Clair county, Illinois.

That the operation of the bookmaking and pool selling establishments, gambling houses and clubs, slot and ‘pin ball’ machines, were and did constitute public nuisances contrary to law.

That the operation of the pool selling and bookmaking establishments were calculated to and did encourage disrespect and contempt and a disobedience of the laws of Illinois and did subvert common decency and good morals and produced within the State of Illinois the following deleterious effects, among others:

1. It has induced citizens and residents of the State of Illinois and St. Clair county to lead an idle and dissolute life;

2. It has induced men and women of limited means within the State of Illinois and St. Clair county to spend upon wagers and bets on horse races money necessary for the support and maintenance of themselves and their minor children;

3. It has induced men and women receiving public aid and relief to wager upon horse races, and thus waste money raised for their support by taxes, thereby unnecessarily increasing the tax burden of the people of the State of Illinois;

4. It has contributed to the delinquency of minors in the State of Illinois and in St. Clair county by openly glorifying gambling and evasion of the laws;

5. It has caused citizens and residents of the State of Illinois and in St. Clair county to lose their regular employment, because they frequented such establishments and, on occasion, lost money entrusted to them by their employers;

6. It has attracted undesirable characters to the State of Illinois and to St. Clair county to the detriment of law and order therein;

7. It has caused the congregation at said bookmaking establishments of a large number of people, thereby contributing to a disturbance of the peace and quiet of the neighborhood;

8. It has caused a disrespect for the law and local law enforcing agencies, because of the inability or failure of such law enforcing agencies to suppress such establishments;

9. It has caused a lowering of property values in the neighborhood where such bookmaking establishments are being operated, because of the attraction of certain low and dissolute characters and the disturbance of the peace.

That in each and all of said particulars, the existence, operation, maintenance and conduct of said bookmaking establishments have interfered with the comfortable enjoyment of life and property by the entire community and neighborhood adjacent to each of said establishments, and by a large number of persons within the county of St. Clair and elsewhere in the State of Illinois.

That the operation and maintenance of slot and ‘pin ball’ machines did encourage disrespect and contempt and a disobedience of the laws of Illinois and did subvert common decency and good morals and produced within the State of Illinois the following deleterious effects, among others:

1. It has induced men and women of linrited means in St. Clair county and in the State of Illinois to gamble in said machines;

2. It has induced minors and children of immature age to gamble and has openly glorified gambling and evasion of the,law;

3. It has caused a disrespect for law and law enforcing agencies, because of the inability or failure of such law enforcing agencies to suppress such establishments.

That the operation and maintenance of gambling houses and clubs did encourage disrespect and contempt and a disobedience to the laws of Illinois and did subvert common decency and good morals and produced within the State of Illinois the following deleterious effects, among others:

1. It has induced citizens and residents of St. Clair county, Illinois, to lead an idle and dissolute life;

2. It has induced men and women of limited means within St. Clair county, Illinois, to spend on gambling, money necessary for the support and maintenance of themselves and their minor children;

3. It has induced men and women receiving public relief to gamble and thus waste money raised for their support by taxes, thereby unnecessarily increasing the tax burden of the people of the State of Illinois ;

4. It has contributed to the delinquency of minors in St. Clair county, Illinois, by openly glorifying gambling and evasion of laws;

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
45 N.E.2d 48, 316 Ill. App. 217, 1942 Ill. App. LEXIS 721, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-ex-rel-barrett-v-fritz-illappct-1942.