Bessemer DA Orders Bingo Halls Shut Down by 6 PM Tonight

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Posted by: Stephen Crews
Date: Feb 05 2010 12:15 PM

Courtesy of AL.com

Bingo halls in the Bessemer Cutoff began shutting down this morning in response to a request from Jefferson County Bessemer Division District Attorney Arthur Green's request for them to close by 6 p.m. today.
  
  "We're going to meet the deadline," said Earl Hilliard, the former congressman who is an attorney for Bamaco Bingo in Fairfield.

  Green made the request this morning at a hearing before Jefferson County Circuit Judge Eugene Verin. The hearing is part of a lawsuit filed by the city of Fairfield last October that has allowed its bingo halls to stay open.
 
  "In my judgment, folks, the gig is up. You can't play bingo on machines in Alabama and be legal," Green said.
 
  Fairfield City Attorney Michael Trucks advised bingo operators in the city to abide by Green's request in the wake of Thursday's state Supreme Court ruling that cleared the way for Gov. Bob Riley's gambling task force to raid VictoryLand, the state's largest bingo casino.

  "The Supreme Court has spoken and all operators need to abide by the district attorney's proposal," Trucks said.

  Besides five bingo halls in Fairfield, there are also bingo operations in Bessemer and some other communities in the cutoff.

  Green also said the halls could face forced closure by Riley's task force, led by Mobile District Attorney John Tyson, if they don't shut down voluntarily.
 
  "If we don't do something immediately, Tyson will be up here shutting you down," he said. 

 

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