Federal Country Crossing hearing set for Monday
Country Crossing is at another crossroads Monday, as attorneys are set to make their cases before a federal judge concerning a temporary restraining order barring the Governor’s Task Force on Illegal Gambling from raiding the entertainment complex.
In a federal court proceeding entitled The Cooperative District of Houston County v. John M. Tyson Jr., the plaintiffs filed a motion asking that John Tyson, who leads the Governor’s Task Force on Illegal Gambling, be barred from continuing any warrantless raid, search or seizure of the Houston Economic Development Association’s electronic charitable bingo facility in Houston County.
The plaintiff’s argue that Tyson acted improperly by seeking to raid Country Crossing on Friday without a warrant. The potential for a warrantless raid has impacted HEDA’s ability to do business, putting it at risk of irreparable harm.
The plaintiffs argue that a restraining order is necessary to prevent irreparable harm to HEDA, and to protect its Constitutional rights against unlawful search and seizure.
The plaintiffs argue that HEDA had to take the matter to federal court because it has nowhere to turn in state court because of a recent Alabama Supreme Court decision that leaves individuals and businesses with no means of preventing irreparable harm from unlawful law enforcement activities, which is what HEDA describes Friday’s aborted raid as.
In addition to Monday’s court hearing, employees of Country Crossing are organizing a rally in support of the economic development. The rally will take place at 2 p.m. at the entertainment complex.
Reader Reactions
riley continues to hurt our state with this persistant hunt to end bingo. i guess as long as the checks from the choctaws keep rolling in he has no reason not to.
Riley isn’t against gambling, as long as it happens in Mississippi (where he’ll get a portion of the proceeds) - he just auctions his services to the highest bidder.
Riley is so against gambling yet the man has no problem taking millions of dollars from the Indians its just so sideways and backwards he cant be trusted ! Everything out of Riley s mouth is a lie
awesome post David! thank you for expressing the same views as myself.
Dont let Riley take away our jobs!
Considering Governor Riley got elected by gambling money. I would say he’s the biggest gambling boss in the state. And now he’s pissed Barber got caught picking up his check.
I agree with sixtimesaday here…CC is done for in the end ...they went this route once before and the feds refused to get involoved here..Also Tyson is attempting to get a search warrant today from Judge Brock to be able to go in anyway ... if he gets one the chains on the door want matter anymore the task force will move in anyway ..
Country Crossing will sue the pants of the state of AL. After it wins in court. Bingo Bob will be stopped, just like he was the past two times.
Here’s the bottom line. Federal law does not supersede state law as long as the state meets or exceeds federal law. CC’s Lawyers know this. The only people that were destine to make big money off of CC were the lawyers to begin with. I’m sure Mr.Gilley was assured in the beginning “by his lawyer” that they win this case. CC is finished folks, except it and get over it.
To show how stupid electronic bingo operators are, Midfield has a new bingo hall opening this week.
It’s about time that CC is going to get a fair shot at this case. The reason the doors were locked is simple, if Tyson would’ve sent in his goon squad to CC they would’ve been distructive and forceful on employee’s and the bingo machines, ripping them out with no respect or care. Was it really necessary to send 135 state troopers to CC when it was closed, they were all asked to leave since in fact they were trespassing and then they stayed for 7 hours after that, not for free. Everytime the governor atempts to raid a bingo hall in this state it costs the tax payers roughly 200,000 dollars, and what’s even worst is that the last one was totally illegal in every sense of the word. I wonder more and more everyday why Riley is doing all of this and then I remember, he needs to earn that 13,000,000 that he received from Mississippi.
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