Pursuant to a court order issued earlier this month, several investigators with the Alabama Bureau of Investigation were at the Greenetrack casino this afternoon to inspect and analyze gambling machines in the casino. They were acting in compliance with a court order issued on June 4 by Circuit Court Judge Eddie Hardaway, Jr. allowing law enforcement to inspect and analyze the gambling machines at Greenetrack.

Judge Hardaway issued that court order after Greene County District Attorney Gregory Griggers filed a petition for forfeiture of the machines at Greenetrack. In his petition, the DA said that then-Sheriff Ronald K. Smith and other agents of the Greene County Sheriff’s Office observed the gambling machines at Greenetrack and found reason to believe that the gambling machines were illegal gambling devices that violate state law.

After the investigators began their inspection of the slot machines today, Greenetrack attorneys asked Judge Hardway to enjoin any law enforcement activity at Greenetrack until June 28. Even though the Alabama Supreme Court has stated that circuit judges cannot enjoin law enforcement operations, Judge Hardaway did it anyway. The Governor’s Task Force on Illegal Gambling will ask the Alabama Supreme Court to overturn that order next week.