United States v. 18 Gambling Devices

347 F. Supp. 653, 1972 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12182
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Mississippi
DecidedAugust 28, 1972
DocketCiv. A. No. 4275
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 347 F. Supp. 653 (United States v. 18 Gambling Devices) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Mississippi primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. 18 Gambling Devices, 347 F. Supp. 653, 1972 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12182 (S.D. Miss. 1972).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

DAN M. RUSSELL, Jr., Chief Judge.

On October 5, 1971, the government filed an in rem complaint for the forfeiture of 18 gambling devices seized by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation from the Beehive Lounge, Gulf-port, Mississippi. The government alleges that these devices, having an appraised value of more than $2500.00, were being used in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1955(a) and are subject to forfeiture under 18 U.S.C. § 1955(d) because said devices were being used in the operation of an illegal gambling business. A warrant of arrest issued and the devices were taken into the custody of the United States Marshal for this District, who, under order of this Court, published public notice for any claimants to interpose their claims to the property on or before December 3,1971.

Prior to the filing of this action, James W. Ware, in Civil Action No. 4214 on the docket of this Court, styled James W. Ware v. United States of America, filed a motion for the return of some 23 amusement devices, including the 18 devices involved in the case sub judice, allegedly seized by F.B.I. Agents on July 1 and 2, 1971, and a motion to suppress, alleging that the seizure was unlawful in that Ware was engaged in a sole proprietorship and his business was not in violation of federal or state laws. The government admitted the seizure of the devices, denied that they were for amusement purposes only, and denied that petitioner had stated a cause of action. Petitioner moved for a temporary, interlocutory and permanent injunction to restrain the Attorney General of the United States, the U. S. District Attorney and the Marshal for the Southern District of Mississippi from forfeiting or destroying said devices. Meanwhile, Cause No. 4275 having been filed, Ware moved to consolidate. In Cause No. 4214 the Court, upon being advised that Ware had failed to post the required bond as to 5 of the devices the respec[655]*655tive value at each location where seized having a value of less than $2,500.00, found that Ware had apparently failed to exhaust his administrative remedies as to them. The Court, accordingly, denied the motion to consolidate, directing that Cause No. 4214 be dismissed as to the 18 devices inasmuch as they are the same ones involved herein, and that Ware show cause as to why No. 4214 should not be dismissed as to the remaining 5 devices because of the administrative forfeiture. In an order filed in both cases on March 13, 1972, Cause No. 4214 was dismissed with the right retained to Ware to renew herein his motion to suppress. Cause No. 4214 is not involved in this decision.

On April 11, 1972, Ware filed his answer claiming to be the sole owner of the 18 devices described in the complaint, conceding their value to be in excess of $2,500.00. He denied that they are gambling devices, denied that they were being used in violation of any federal or state laws, and denied that they are subject to forfeiture. Affirmatively Ware alleges that said devices were legally and lawfully purchased and were used as amusement devices only.

The action was tried to the Court.

Section 1955(a) (b) and (c), Title 18 U.S.C. provides:

(a) Whoever conducts, finances, manages, supervises, directs, or owns all or part of an illegal gambling business shall be fined not more than $20,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
(b) As used in this section—
(1) “illegal gambling business” means a gambling business which—
(i) is a violation of the law of a State or political subdivision in which it is conducted;
(ii) involves five or more persons who conduct, finance, manage, supervise, direct, or own all or part of such business; and
(iii) has been or remains in substantially continuous operation for a period in excess of thirty days or has a gross revenue of $2,000 in any single day.
(2) “gambling” includes but is not limited to pool-selling, book-making, maintaining slot machines, roulette wheels or dice tables, and conducting lotteries, policy, bolita or numbers games, or selling chances therein.
(3) “State” means any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and any territory or possession of the United States.
(c) If five or more persons conduct, finance, manage, supervise, direct, or own all or part of a gambling business and such business operates for two or more successive days, then, for the purpose of obtaining warrants for arrests, interceptions, and other searches and seizures, probable cause that the business receives gross revenue in excess of $2,000 in any single day shall be deemed to have been established.”

Section 1955(d) provides in part:

“(d) Any property, including money, used in violation of the provisions of this section may be seized and forfeited to the United States.”

Section 2047 of the Mississippi Code of 1942 reads in part:

“It shall be unlawful for any person or persons, firm, copartnership, or corporation to have in possession, own, control, display, or operate any cane rack, knife rack, artful dodger, punch board, roll down, merchandise wheel, slot machine, pin ball machine or similar device or devices. * * * Provided, however, that pin ball machines which do not return to the operator or player thereof anything but free additional games or plays shall not be deemed to be gambling devices, and neither this act nor any other act shall be construed to prohibit same.”

The government also contends Ware violated Section 2190 of the Mississippi Code which provides a fine for any person who encourages, promotes or plays [656]*656at any game, play or amusement, for money.

The devices seized by the government include 11 Bally type pinball machines and 7 slot machines described as follows:

Bally Venice, S/N VE-316
Bally Big Show, S/N E-4690
Bally Can Can, S/N A-1208
Bally Safari, S/N SI-1131
Bally Folies Bergeres, SN FB-623
Bally Carnival Queen, S/N C-4413
Bally Miami Beach, S/N 4528
Bally Bikini, S/N A-1061
Bally Venice, S/N VE-355
Bally Border Beauty, S/N BR-453
Bally Safari, S/N SI-39
Bally Jumbo, S/N 719
Keeney’s Twin Big Tent, S/N P-2900
Keeney’s Twin Deluxe Big Tent, S/N
KP-1717
Keeney’s Summertime, S/N Kest-462
Keeney’s Twin, S/N P-1040
Hialeah, S/N 608
Keeney’s Twin Big Tent, S/N P-2710

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
347 F. Supp. 653, 1972 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12182, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-18-gambling-devices-mssd-1972.