Unconfirmed word coming in over the Pokerati newswire …
Police shut down a suburban Dallas game on Wednesday — I only knew it as [name temporarily withheld]\’s Game — located in Mesquite at Motley and I-30. It wasn\’t vice or SWAT, reportedly, but detectives … confiscated the money in the game, and issued players Class C misdemeanor tickets outside. The game\’s purveyor was \”caught on the street\” and police supposedly confiscated his car, along with all the cash he was carrying.
I never played in this game before, but I did hear about it and find out about playing. If I recall properly, they were running a 1-2-5 … medium action and pleasant crowd. Can\’t remember if it was in a house or office park. That\’s all we know for now. If you\’ve got any reliable info please fill us in. Interesting to see War on Drugs-style forfeiture laws being applied in poker cases where we pretty much know the results of prosecutions even before they don\’t go to trial.
CORRECTION/DETAILS (3/16): A guy named \”Henser\” was arrested. The game took place in a residential house. Detectives were in the game (?), but they ticketed players outside the house. Not for gambling, but for parking too close to the curb and things like that. And Henser was apparently pulled over (driving away from the scene?) when cops caught up with him.
I quote…. “we pretty much know the results of prosecutions even before they don’t go to trial.”
meaning?
I heard in another case where 87 players were ticketed every player who requested a jury trial had their case dismissed. Are you saying this is standard?
That is generally the standard. Sometimes they plea down to something so low the player/dealer can’t turn it down.
In Houston things are different — they are pushing felony charges probably just for the sake of better negotiating. But in Dallas, where the DA supported our bill to legalize poker rooms, there is very little fear of legal ramifications from taking part in a room.