Country Crossing attorney sees hope in task force change

By: Jim Cook | Dothan Eagle
Published: December 30, 2010

Governor-elect Robert Bentley said Wednesday that he’s handing the Governor’s Task Force on Illegal Gambling over to the attorney general’s office.

While some might interpret that to mean the work of the task force, which resulted in the closing of Country Crossing and other electronic bingo facilities, will continue, attorney Sam Cherry sees a different meaning in Bentley’s move.

Cherry, who represents the country music entertainment complex, said Thursday that Bentley’s move takes the task of enforcing the state’s gambling laws away from an appointed official charged with doing the governor’s will and gives it back to a constitutionally-elected official charged with doing the people’s will and following the law.
Cherry says that’s a big difference.

Cherry said because incoming Attorney General Luther Strange is an elected official rather than an appointed servant of the governor’s, he’s in a better position to fairly enforce the law with regard to the legality of electronic bingo in Alabama. Cherry said the mission of the task force commander was to shut down gambling facilities, whether they were legal or not; the attorney general’s job is to enforce the law.

“I think Luther Strange is a fair individual who understands the nature of his office,” Cherry said.

Cherry believes that the Alabama Supreme Court case Bob Riley, et al. v. Cornerstone Community Outreach, establishes that electronic bingo is legal in some counties in Alabama, and that Country Crossing’s electronic bingo machines meet the definition of bingo supplied by the Cornerstone decision.

Cherry hopes to be able to work with Strange to come to a definitive ruling on the legality of electronic bingo, and whether Country Crossing’s machines are legal.

Country Crossing attorney sees hope in task force change

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