Alabama bingo prosecutors giving judicial system a black eye

victorylandThe entire Alabama bingo raid situation sounded awful, unconstitutional and contrived from the very beginning when former governor Riley’s task force started taking the law into their own hands.

Now, with a ongoing gambling case against casino owner Milton McGregor, prosecutors are once again making a mess of the judicial system. Does anyone in Alabama do things by the book?

Attorneys for VictoryLand Owner Milton McGregor have asked Federal Magistrate Judge Wallace Capel Jr. to dismiss charges against their client because repeated and excessive delays by the prosecution to turn over all records and evidence in the case.

McGregor was arrested late last year and charged for buying votes for pro-gaming legislation.

The case has been a mess from the very beginning. Already, the lead prosecutor for the U.S. on the case has been removed and replaced by Justin Shur, direct from Washington D.C.

During the hearing Friday, the judge said the Justice Department sent in an “an elite group from D.C.” to prosecute the case but its conduct has been “ridiculous”.

Now the judge is considering sanctions against federal prosecutors for repeated delays but has yet to rule on when or decide just how severe these sanctions may be.