Ala. Supreme Court explains bingo case change

Bingo Battle

By: The Associated Press | Alabama's13.com
Published: September 03, 2010

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MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - The Alabama Supreme Court is responding to public allegations by saying it reassigned an electronic bingo case from one justice to another in the interest of judicial economy.

Tuscaloosa businessman Stan Pate had alleged the case involving VictoryLand's casino in Shorter was reassigned after the governor or his staff intervened.

The Supreme Court said in an order Friday that the case was reassigned in May from Justice Patti Smith to Justice Glenn Murdock because Murdock was already handling a similar case involving the White Hall Entertainment Center in Lowndes County. The decision by Murdock on July 30 cleared the way for the governor's gambling task force to raid VictoryLand.

The Supreme Court is using retired Justice Gorman Houston to investigate whether information about the decision was leaked before its release. Houston said Friday the court wants him to report his findings by Sept. 15, but he hopes to finish before then.