Friday, July 8, 2005 | 9:19 a.m.
DUSON, La. -- Duson, which sits mainly in Lafayette Parish, cannot annex land from neighboring Acadia Parish, a state appeal court has ruled.
Opponents of the annexation argue the five-acre tract near Interstate 10 was seized so the town could benefit from any future truck stop casinos that could open and feature video poker.
A judge in February blocked the annexation after Acadia Parish filed a lawsuit over the issue. Duson appealed, and in an opinion released this week, a five-judge panel with the state 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal voted 3-2 against the town.
The annexation is "unreasonable" because the five acres in question were not directly connected to the town and because the town has no imminent plans to provide utility service to the area, the judges ruled.
"I didn't annex it for video poker," Duson Mayor John Lagneaux said. "They might think there is video poker on the way, but there is none that I know of. Not to say that more aren't to come, but we don't go out and look for it."
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