State police “perplexed, dismayed and disappointed” by latest order

Wednesday, May 14, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

"Perplexed, dismayed and disappointed," said Lt. Mike Edmonson, state police spokesman. "That's what we are. We feel that if we find illegal gaming going on, we should try to stop it."

An appeal of Judge Mike McDonald's order is pending before the state 1st Circuit Court of Appeals.

McDonald handed down his temporary order while state police were disconnecting the machines. They had begun the shutdown after District Judge Gregory Lyons of Lake Charles lifted orders under which he had let the truck stop to operate through the weekend.

McDonald did not give any reasons for his order, state police said.

Edmonson said the machines were being shut down because the person operating the machines was not the one who holds the video poker license.

"We are trying to enforce the law as it is written. It is very clear you cannot operate a gaming establishment without a license ... Licenses are not transferable," Edmondson said.

State police said the video poker license was granted to John Van Fossen but the machines were being operated by Joe Palermo, owner of a Lake Charles video poker machine distributor called Jackpot Novelty.

What frustrates state police even more was the disclosure Tuesday that the state Gaming Control Board had refused March 7 to renew Jackpot's video poker license. Palermo has appealed that as well.

If he loses, he will have to liquidate all his video poker holdings, including Jackpot Novelty, Edmonson said.

McDonald has set a May 22 injunction hearing. And state police have scheduled an administrative hearing on Van Fossen's license for May 21.

The machines were first shut down Friday night. They were turned back on Saturday after Lyons signed a court order. Lyons took jurisdiction because he had handled a previous case involving the operators of the truck stop.