White Hall reopens; former mayor ‘guilty’ of stealing

White Hall’s electronic bingo gambling operation has attracted statewide attention repeatedly this year with a raid that eventually led to a Supreme Court ruling and a tie to the town’s mayor that led to his conviction.

First, “bingo” machines at White Hall Resort and Entertainment Center were ruled illegal in the Nov. 13 Alabama Supreme Court ruling some say changed the face of electronic bingo gambling in the state. But after two weeks, the facility reopened with games redesigned to match the Supreme Court’s requirements for legal bingo, according to the Birmingham News. A representative for the facility also said it would ask the Supreme Court to reconsider its opinion.

Most recently, John Jackson, former mayor of White Hall, was sentenced to two years probation for stealing more than $43,000 from the city. The money was reportedly linked to “the sale of property used to build an electronic bingo (gambling) hall.”

Jackson was also initially indicted on another count for first degree theft of property totaling $2,500, but it was later dismissed.

In October, Jackson pleaded guilty to intentionally using his official position for personal gain and resigned as mayor. Jackson also agreed not to run for any public office for two years. In Jackson’s Dec. 2 sentencing, Lowndes County Circuit Judge Edward McFerrin said Jackson should “avoid connection with financial matters of (the) Town of White Hall.”

Attorney General Troy King, who began the case against Jackson in 2007, said in a news release, “This sentence and conviction is important because it removed an admitted criminal from office and returned money that rightfully belongs to citizens of White Hall to the town’s treasury.”

According to the Montgomery Advertiser, Jackson “helped incorporate White Hall 30 years ago and was elected mayor in every election since that time.”