Portsmouth officers forbidden to pull poker duty
Posted to: News Portsmouth
1 of 2 photos:
Eugene Shull plays in a Texas Hold 'Em poker tournament at the Circle Restaurant in Portsmouth on Saturday, March 27, 2010. "If this game is to be legitimate," says Schull, "it shouldn't be played in some obscure back room, but in a nice place. That's what we think we're doing here." (Amanda Lucier | The Virginian-Pilot)Poll
Should Portsmouth prosecute those who run poker games and other forms of gambling not sanctioned under state law?
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PORTSMOUTH
The city's police chief sent out a directive to officers Monday, telling them they can no longer provide security for poker halls in the city.
The action came the week after Commonwealth's Attorney Earle C. Mobley announced he would prosecute operators of poker parlors and other forms of gambling.
On Friday, a spokesman for the police department said Chief Ed Hargis would re-evaluate whether officers could work off-duty at such establishments once he received written word from the city's top prosecutor.
Detective John Doyle, the spokesman, said Monday that the letter from the commonwealth's attorney's office came Monday and that the chief's directive followed immediately, rescinding authorization to work part time at the poker halls.
Mobley was also getting letters out to poker establishments in the city.
On Monday, Charlie Daniels, the owner of The Poker Palace, said he had not received that written notice, but he had talked face to face with Mobley.
Afterward, Daniels closed The Poker Palace.
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Someone else did ask an
Someone else did ask an important question earlier though
Does Bill Watson have his deputies STILL working in these establishments even AFTER Mobley's decision?
I wont be presumptuous but if PSO deputies ARE still working while PPD officers have been ordered off does anyone else see a problem here.....
oh let me guess.....if we demand deputies stop working poker halls we all have to sell our houses because taxes will rise 1 bazillion dollars? the world according to Watson right..... (FACEPALM)
So have all the Portsmouth
So have all the Portsmouth poker rooms closed at this point? If so, it is too bad. It would be nice if at least one of them was in a position to stand up and fight on this one.
free will
Women in many countries are veiled or as extreme as a burka in the attempt to reduce temptation. We will make mistakes in our moral path, but it is our choices and the religious community can set the example and give us all guidance by sharing their religion, but it is still our free will.
We need to get the General Assembly to pass and the governor to sign into law the legalization of casinos. Then use the taxes from the fools and their departed money to pay for our roads and such.
The biggest hurdle to legalized casinos will be the unions that are so present in Atlantic City and Las Vegas but NOT in Virginia.
It is going to be difficult in Portsmouth to make raids on the poker halls by finding officers that did not work security to make the raids.
are you inferring that
are you inferring that because a police officer engaged in approved part time work that would disqualify him from executing an order to raid the establishment?
also in case you DID NOT read......these establishments are voluntarily shutting down......raids are unlikely and unnecessary....raids wouldn't be indicated in this situation anyway......but I'm confident that placed in that situation they could and would execute their jobs flawlessly as ALWAYS.....to infer otherwise is foolish
Just organize the games as
Just organize the games as tournaments. Everyone pays the same entry fee at a set hour, gets the same number of chips and plays. At the end, the one with the most chips wins and there is a fixed purse or prize. That would be no different than any sporting tournament. If you fold and leave early, your out, nothing goes with you, you can't cash in your chips. Organize it into heats or divisions if you want to "award" more prizes.
Good comment.
Low limits can also keep one on the path of sport and away from the road to perdition. However, should't a person have the right to choose?
Ironic how many "moral authorities" speak of free will and then do everything they can to prevent it. It's a gamble just driving in traffic. Let's ban cars?
Simply Amazing!
Portsmouth, Norfolk and others all crying for lack of funds for roads, schools, police and fire departments. These poker palaces who donate to charities in the area, as well as provide employment and now they want to close them. If casino gambling in Virginia, specifically the Hampton Roads area is allowed woudn't that bring in, and I am being conservative here with my estimates, at a minimum, 300,000 jobs? From the workers who build the casinos, to the workers who will work in the casinos, to the businesses who will service the "new industry"? What would Hampton Roads (Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, Norfolk,Chesapeake and Suffolk) do with an influx of, and yes, another conservative estimate, say, 250 million dolars per year? You would be getting "other people's money, other states "casino money" that normally leaves the area now. Are you all going to bow to the east, or to Regent and pray for another Ford Plant? Another aircraft carrier to be built? Until then, pay for everything with your taxes or work to legalize the gaming industry here in Hampton Roads! Let the gaming industry pay for at least some of the financial burden. All you have to do is say Yes!
Hey
The Ford Plant would make a fine casino and hotel! We could run people through the paint line for spray-on tans!
Change the law
When was the last time all these commentators in favor of gambling contacted their representative and demanded a discussion on garbling. Ther4 is an election coming yup. Go to the meetings and bring gambling up.
Remember the squeaky wheel get the grease.
BINGO
You know this argument. They will be targeted next. Oh, wait, they are covered by Nights of Columbus, the Shriners, churches, and what ever else can be covered by tax exemption.
Sheriff
I guess the Sheriff will let his guys work security. I mean why not? He always does the opposite.
Contact your legislator
Follow this URL to contact your legislator to legalize poker Portsmouth!
Copy this into your web browser:
http://conview.state.va.us/whosmy.nsf/8bd7d3f5cc45477685256f330069b05d/DE79352521FAADB38525776D004B9910?OpenDocument
Good demonostration
Well, that's a good demonstration how government regulation kills jobs and slows the economy.
regulation stiffel money making opportunities
Regulations stop a lot of people from making money. Except for regulation anybody could declare themselves a dentist and start a practise. This would drive down cost, increase availability and increase jobs. If we could just get the danged government out of the way. Its not just dentist it is any profession, any retailer, any business. Remember it was the lack of regulation that allowed the dry wall problem and there are a lot more si,ilar problems caused by lack of regulation.
I don't recall
I don't recall anyone taking a zero regulation position, so your point based on an extremest straw man argument doesn't work.
Not to mention all the money
Not to mention all the money the charities will lose out on because of the closings.
Underground.
And underground the games will go................Making drugs illegal sure stopped that industry in it's tracks!
Laws
There is a law against murder too, but that continues....Your point?
??????
You missed the point. How many murderers peddle their services?
Why BINGO and not Poker?
Well, the CA did it. He managed to close down some of the few places in Portsmouth where there was no crime...the Poker Halls. Now maybe he can concentrate on more pressing issues like the thousands of murders, rapes, robberies, etc. that take place in Portsmouth each year. But I am sure that the now that the Poker Halls are gone, Portsmouth crime will vanish and it will be a great place to raise a family!!!
BTW, can someone remind me why BINGO is OK but poker is not.