Kentucky Supreme Court Receives IMEGA Online Gambling Brief

Briefs from the groups supporting the decision against Kentucky's seizure action against 141 online gambling sites were due to the state Supreme Court today.

Attorneys representing iMEGA presented written arguments to the Kentucky Supreme Court in the forfeiture case against 141 online casinos. The brief asks the Justices to affirm the appellate decision that the seizure of the Internet gambling operators' domain names was outside the state's jurisdiction, and misapplied state law.

The Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association also requested the court observe and review the video of the secret proceeding at which attorneys representing the state originally pressed for forfeiture of the domain names, without providing notice to the accused operators or allowing for legal representation.

“We’re very confident the State Supreme Court will reach the same conclusion as the Court of Appeals,” said Joe Brennan Jr., chairman of iMEGA. “It’s too bad Governor Beshear wants to keep fighting, but since he’s not paying for his attorneys, I guess he doesn’t care how long this takes or how much he ties up Kentucky’s court with this doomed campaign.”

Brennan was referring to the governor's hiring of private attorneys to represent Kentucky, and arranging payment to be made as a contingency of any damages collected. The Attorney General of Kentucky has taken pains to distance himself from the case.

Briefs were also expected by today from an assortment of other groups opposing the Kentucky action, including the ACLU, the Poker Players Alliance, the Center for Democracy and Technology, and the Internet Commerce Association.