Victoryland Trial Starts Tuesday
Victoryland Casino in Macon County was raided by Attorney General Luther Strange in 2013, effectively shutting down the operation.
The state took over 1,000 gambling machines and over $200,000 in cash.Â
Milton McGregor, who owns the casino, is suing the state claiming that the machines were perfectly legal.Â
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Attorney Doyle Fuller says the state will have a lot to prove.
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“I think the state is going to have to show that this money that they seized came from something that they can prove to be illegal gambling activity. Because if it came from legal activity, they can’t seize it,” said Fuller.
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It took almost a year to find a judge to hear this case. Political analyst Steve Flowers says this is the first time that a court will rule on if the machines are actually illegal.Â
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“I’m glad to see that finally a court of law will have to see the law and adjudicate whether it’s constitutional or not. You know, actually Josh there’s never been any litigation or adjudication as to whether those machines are illegal or not,” said Flowers.Â
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With current Attorney General Luther Strange at the front of shutting down the casino, Flowers says he has a lot to lose if the case goes the other way.Â
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“I would think that the current attorney general would lose some credibility if the court says he’s over here enforcing the law and it looks like he’s doing it for political reasons,” said Flowers.Â
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Fuller expects the case to be appealled to the state supreme court, but either way he says it will be huge for Alabama.
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“If they say it’s illegal then there are a whole lot of folks out of business. If they say it’s legal, then an awful lot of people will keep there jobs and a lot of people in business,” said Fuller.Â
