Almost two years after a Mount Pleasant poker game was hit by a police sting operation, some of the more vocal defendants are still awaiting a trial.
The players believe that the town officials do not want to have a jury trial turn into a spectacle, as the defendants attempt to defend the game against the allegedly outdated South Carolina anti-gambling laws.
Bob Chimento, a spokesman for the group, said "Mount Pleasant, they don't want to be the stepping stone into changing this".
Ira Grossman, the Town Attorney, responded that the delay is not out of the ordinary. Around two thirds of the players ticketed that night had been dealt with in municipal court pleas. Grossman added that prosecutions can take time, especially considering many of the defendants do not have lawyers.
The sting took place in April 2007. The game had been advertised online, with poker enthusiasts invited to attend the $20 buy-in game. Some of the proceeds from the buy in went to the house. Police seized nearly $6,000, and a small quantity of drugs.
Many of the people arrested that night have paid gambling fines as low as $100. Those who have not yet reached court are determined to reach trial, and are seeking advice from lawyers around the country who are known to be pro-poker advocates.
Grossman said that while he could not comment on any single case, the majority of the poker raid prosecutions had been settled, and other cases, such as domestic violence or driving under the influence would come before the remaining poker charges.
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