Coin Slot
Issue: 1981 March 073 - Page 19
Coin Slot Magazine - #073 - 1981 - March [International Arcade Museum]
KERMIT A.
A
PROFESSIONAL
DOUCET
LAW
CORPORATION
1000 LAFAYETTE - P. O. BOX 3995
LAFAYETTE.
OFFICE 232-O4O5
LOUISIANA 7O5O2
AN OPEN LETTER TO ALL COLLECTORS
In Louisiana we have made a sincere effort to "legalize" our
hobby of collecting antique slots and other antique gambling devices.
As
an attorney and collector, I have worked hard and diligently to legislate
the legality of our hobby.
Our first efforts were in 1979.
Our proposed bill passed
the Senate unanimously but was killed in Committee in the House.
In 1980
our proposed bill passed through the legislature unanimously but was ve
toed by our new conservative governor after the close of the legislature!
After that things went from bad to worse. We are now waging our battle in
the Courts.
Pat Brown, a Louisiana collector, had his 1 cent Columbia
seized by the local police pursuant to present Louisiana law making same
contraband.
He has filed a suit seeking the return of his machine and
has challenged the constitutionality of the present Louisiana law which
give the police "carte blanche11 to seize and destroy slots without pro
viding the owner any relief in the courts or other legal process.
The local District Court and 1st Circuit Court of Appeals
both held the present Louisiana law unconstitutional as violative of the
"Due Process" clause, i.e., the law failed to provide remedies for relief
by the property owner when said slot machine was not used for gambling
purposes and was an antique collectible.
Unfortunately the Louisiana
Supreme Court in a 5/2 decision reversed and declared the Louisiana law
constitutional and ordered the summary destruction of slots etc. without
allowing the owner his day in court, whether the slots were used for gam
bling purposes or antique collectibles.
In other words, slots are "contra
band
and the owner of same cannot avail himself of any legal remedy to
prevent their summary destruction.
Mr. Brown has incurred a substantial amount of legal expense
in his fight to regain the possession of his slot machine and to confer on
our hobby the respect, legality and dignity it deserves.
He wants to con
tinue his fight to the United States Supreme Court (USSC).
However this
is an expensive process.
IF THIS MATTER IS HEARD BY THE USSC THEN A FAVORABLE OUTCOME
WOULD BENEFIT OUR ENTIRE HOBBY NATIONWIDE.
IT COULD LEGALIZE OUR HOBBY IN
ALL STATES THAT HOLD IT ILLEGAL AT PRESENT AND COULD LIBERALIZE THE "LEGAL
STATES".
WE NEED YOUR HELP.
PLEASE ASSIST US IN OUR FIGHT.
TRIBUTIONS OF $5,
$10 OR MORE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.
LAFAYETTE STREET,
LAFAYETTE,
ANY CON
ALSO WE WANT
TO BE HEARD AND PERHAPS SHOULD VOICE ALL OF OUR OPINIONS TO THE USSC.
ALL CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE "PAT BROWN FUND", c/o KERMIT A. DOUCET, 1000
com
.
m
eu
m: us
o
r
f
-m
ed
oad .arcade
l
n
Dow //www
:
http
© The
International
MARCH
1981 Arcade Museum
LOUISIANA
70501.
SEND
THANKS.
SRMIT A.
DOUCET
http://www.arcade-museum.com/
THE COIN SLOT - 19
KERMIT A.
A
PROFESSIONAL
DOUCET
LAW
CORPORATION
1000 LAFAYETTE - P. O. BOX 3995
LAFAYETTE.
OFFICE 232-O4O5
LOUISIANA 7O5O2
AN OPEN LETTER TO ALL COLLECTORS
In Louisiana we have made a sincere effort to "legalize" our
hobby of collecting antique slots and other antique gambling devices.
As
an attorney and collector, I have worked hard and diligently to legislate
the legality of our hobby.
Our first efforts were in 1979.
Our proposed bill passed
the Senate unanimously but was killed in Committee in the House.
In 1980
our proposed bill passed through the legislature unanimously but was ve
toed by our new conservative governor after the close of the legislature!
After that things went from bad to worse. We are now waging our battle in
the Courts.
Pat Brown, a Louisiana collector, had his 1 cent Columbia
seized by the local police pursuant to present Louisiana law making same
contraband.
He has filed a suit seeking the return of his machine and
has challenged the constitutionality of the present Louisiana law which
give the police "carte blanche11 to seize and destroy slots without pro
viding the owner any relief in the courts or other legal process.
The local District Court and 1st Circuit Court of Appeals
both held the present Louisiana law unconstitutional as violative of the
"Due Process" clause, i.e., the law failed to provide remedies for relief
by the property owner when said slot machine was not used for gambling
purposes and was an antique collectible.
Unfortunately the Louisiana
Supreme Court in a 5/2 decision reversed and declared the Louisiana law
constitutional and ordered the summary destruction of slots etc. without
allowing the owner his day in court, whether the slots were used for gam
bling purposes or antique collectibles.
In other words, slots are "contra
band
and the owner of same cannot avail himself of any legal remedy to
prevent their summary destruction.
Mr. Brown has incurred a substantial amount of legal expense
in his fight to regain the possession of his slot machine and to confer on
our hobby the respect, legality and dignity it deserves.
He wants to con
tinue his fight to the United States Supreme Court (USSC).
However this
is an expensive process.
IF THIS MATTER IS HEARD BY THE USSC THEN A FAVORABLE OUTCOME
WOULD BENEFIT OUR ENTIRE HOBBY NATIONWIDE.
IT COULD LEGALIZE OUR HOBBY IN
ALL STATES THAT HOLD IT ILLEGAL AT PRESENT AND COULD LIBERALIZE THE "LEGAL
STATES".
WE NEED YOUR HELP.
PLEASE ASSIST US IN OUR FIGHT.
TRIBUTIONS OF $5,
$10 OR MORE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.
LAFAYETTE STREET,
LAFAYETTE,
ANY CON
ALSO WE WANT
TO BE HEARD AND PERHAPS SHOULD VOICE ALL OF OUR OPINIONS TO THE USSC.
ALL CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE "PAT BROWN FUND", c/o KERMIT A. DOUCET, 1000
com
.
m
eu
m: us
o
r
f
-m
ed
oad .arcade
l
n
Dow //www
:
http
© The
International
MARCH
1981 Arcade Museum
LOUISIANA
70501.
SEND
THANKS.
SRMIT A.
DOUCET
http://www.arcade-museum.com/
THE COIN SLOT - 19
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).