Supreme Court: Greenetrack raids can continue

Published 7:47 pm Wednesday, June 30, 2010

The Alabama Supreme Court today once again cleared the way for the governor’s gambling task force to raid Greenetrack.

The court’s ruling, which came down about about 5 p.m. Wednesday, ended a daylong legal standoff at the casino.

John Tyson Jr., head of Gov. Bob Riley’s the task force, said the unit already in the process of reoccupying Greenetrack.

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Greene County Circuit Judge Eddie Hardaway issued an order shortly before midnight Tuesday that stopped Tyson from seizing the electronic bingo machines. He considers them to be illegal slot machines.

In the Wednesday afternoon order the court, in a 7-2 ruling, the court said Hardaway didn’t have the authority to stop task force’s raid Tuesday night.

However, the High Court left in place an injunction which prevents the task force from removing property of the bingo hall.

Governor Bob Riley issued the following comment on Wednesday night concerning the Alabama Supreme Court’s ruling that the Task Force on Illegal Gambling can return to the Greenetrack casino.

“Disregarding Supreme Court orders cannot be and must never be optional. Our judicial system depends on people following the orders of the state’s highest court,” said Governor Riley.