The Alabama Supreme Court ruled Aug. 23 a new judge should replace Circuit Judge Tom Young Jr. in the VictoryLand forfeiture case after questions were raised about Young’s partiality. The proceedings are concerning the 1,600 bingo machines and more than $223,000 in cash taken from the casino in Shorter in February.
Attorney General Luther Strange accused Young of prohibiting law enforcement from doing their job when he denied the State’s application for a search warrant to search and seize gambling devices at the casino in February. Eventually Young was ordered to issue a warrant by the Supreme Court, but he wrote a note on the “face of the warrant,” disclosing details of the case to VictoryLand and others.
Young appointed Circuit Judge Ray D. Martin, the next most senior jurist in Alabama’s fifth judicial circuit, to take his place.
VictoryLand owner Milton McGregor has accused Strange of “judge shopping” so the state can find a judge who is prejudiced against VictoryLand. The casino was closed Feb. 19 and has yet to reopen.
Share with others: