State v. Smith

165 N.E.2d 481, 83 Ohio Law. Abs. 426
CourtSummit County Court of Common Pleas
DecidedMarch 7, 1960
DocketNo. 29434
StatusPublished

This text of 165 N.E.2d 481 (State v. Smith) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Summit County Court of Common Pleas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Smith, 165 N.E.2d 481, 83 Ohio Law. Abs. 426 (Ohio Super. Ct. 1960).

Opinion

OPINION

By WATTERS, J.

The defendant, Ralph Brown Smith, was indicted in the September Term 1959, by the Grand Jury of Summit County, Ohio, for “Possession of Gambling Devices” under §2915.16 and 2915.17 R. C., respectively, in two (2) counts, as follows, in substance, leaving out the pre formal yerbage:

“DO FIND AND PRESENT, that Ralph Brpwn Smith in the County [427]*427of Summit and State of Ohio aforesaid, on the 4th day of December, in the year of our Lord, one thousand, nine hundred and fifty-nine, unlawfully did own or possess gambling devices, to-wit: Machines or mechanical devices designed and manufactured to operate by means of insertion of a coin so that when operated they may deliver as the result of the application of an element of chance, money, property, or other things of value, contrary to the form of the statute in such case made and provided and against the peace and dignity of the State of Ohio.”
“SECOND COUNT”
“And the Grand Jurors of the State of Ohio, within and for the body of the County of Summit aforesaid, on their oaths and by the authority of the State of Ohio, DO FURTHER FIND AND PRESENT that RALPH BROWN SMITH, in the County of Summit and State of Ohio, on the 4th day of December A. D. 1959, unlawfully did own or possess gambling devices, to-wit: Subassemblies or essential parts intended to be used in connection with machines or mechanical devices designed and manufactured to operate by means of insertion of a coin so that when operated they may deliver as the result of the application of an element of chance, money, property, or other things of value, contrary to the form of the statute in such case made and provided and against the peace and dignity of the State of Ohio.”
“A TRUE BILL.”

The defendant moved for and the court sustained said motion for a bill of particulars, and the State furnished the following bill of particulars, ordered by journal entry filed February 3rd, 1960. “Bill of Particulars Filed February 4, 1960 (caption omitted).”

“Pursuant to the Court’s order filed herein on February 3, 1960, in which order the Prosecuting Attorney was required to furnish the Defendant with a Bill of Particulars in which the Prosecuting Attorney must specifically describe the general type and number of the devices alleged in the indictment, the means by which such devices may be operated recited in detail beyond the allegations in the indictment, and by specifying what the things of value are that would be produced from playing said devices, the Prosecuting Attorney says:
“1. The General Type and Number
“(a) Fifteen bottoms and sixteen tops of bingo-type pinball machines.
“(b) Two Evans’ Saddle and Turf Horse-racing Machines.
“(c) One Kentucky Derby Horse-racing Machine.
“(d) One Keeney’s Delux ‘Big Tent’ coin operated Slot Machine.
“2. The Means by Which Such Devices May be Operated “(a) Bingo-type pinball machines.
“All these machines are coin operated. With the insertion of the coin, the player gets five balls. The player utilizes a plunger to propel the metal balls onto the face of the machine which has numerous holes through which the ball may drop. On the upright portion of the machine are numbered circles in series similar to a bingo card. If the balls drop through three or more holes in the same series as are indicated upon the upright.portion of the machine, the player wins free games.
[428]*428“The number of free games the player wins depends upon the odds indicated at the time the coin is dropped into the machine. The player can endeavor to increase the odds by the insertion of additional coins into the machine. By the insertion of additional coins the odds may or may not increase.
“(b) Evans’ Saddle and Turf Horse-racing Machine.
“These machines are coin operated; the coin required is twenty-five cents. Across the front of the machine are located a series of seven buttons, each corresponding to seven circles located upon the upright portion of the machine. The player, upon dropping one or more quarters into the machine, punches one or more of the seven buttons aligned across the front of the machine. This establishes which number or numbers the operator is playing. Then the player punches a button located on the front of the machine which causes an arm to commence rotating underneath the top of the machine. Painted on the top of the machine is a large circle which is cut into numerous pie-shaped sections bearing numbers from one to seven. These numbers correspond to the seven numbered circles located on the upright portion of the machine. The rotating arm revolves for approximately thirty seconds and comes to rest beneath one of the pie-shaped sections of the large circle described above. If the number of this particular section is the same as the number of' the button the player punched before starting the play, the player wins free games. The number of free games the player wins is determined by the odds which are painted on the outside of the seven circles located on the upright portion of these machines.
“(c) Kentucky Derby Horse-racing Machine.
“This machine is operated by the insertion of a quarter. On the face of the machine is a large circle which is divided into sections bearing numbers from one to seven. On the top of the machine is a row of seven buttons numbered one to seven. The player punches one or more of said buttons and then punches a button located at the top of the machine. This causes an arm to rotate beneath the face of the machine. The arm rotates for approximately thirty seconds and comes to rest beneath one of the numbers in the circle located on the face of the machine.. If the arm comes to rest underneath a number the operator punched, he wins free games. The number of free games is determined by the score or odds indicated on the scoreboard which is located on the face of the machine.
“(d) Keeney’s Delux ‘Big Tent’ coin operated Slot Machine.
“This machine is operated by the insertion of a quarter in the slot provided. On the face of the machine are painted pictures of various animals to indicate the winning combinations, such as three elephants, or two elephants and a lion or a monkey, and etc. Next there are columns of numbers indicating the score or free games the player wins if he gets the animals in the correct combination as indicated.
“On the lower portion of the face of the machine are three rows of pictures of these same animals. The player drops a quarter or quarters into the machine. A lever is located on the front of the machine. After dropping his quarter in the machine, the player moves this lever in [429]*429either clock-wise or counter clock-wise direction until the machine stops, at which time a light is lit behind one of the animals in each of the three columns described above. This determines the combination of animals resulting from his play.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
165 N.E.2d 481, 83 Ohio Law. Abs. 426, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-smith-ohctcomplsummit-1960.