Gambling corruption trial captivated state in 2011

Gambling corruption trial captivated state in 2011
By: Lance Griffin Dothan Eagle


The gambling corruption trial held in Montgomery in the summer of 2011 had all of the ingredients of a John Grisham legal thriller.

» Legislators accused of agreeing to accept bribes

» Casino owners charged with concocting a scheme to buy the state Legislature

» Former defendants on the witness stand jousting with high-priced defense attorneys

» Occasional jaw-droppers delivered on the witness stand

» An ending that made national headlines

What had originally been 11 defendants were whittled to nine when the trial began in U.S. District Court in June. Two defendants had pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against many of the nine remaining.

Charges ranged from bribery to aiding and abetting to lying to investigators to money laundering. Prosecutors claimed all were involved in a conspiracy designed to ensure the passage of pro-gambling legislation. Prosecutors said a crackdown on gambling establishments had made the owners desperate to make sure their investments were secure, and sought to craft legislation to end the debate over whether electronic bingo machines were legal or simply slot machines in a thin disguise. Then, prosecutors said they set out to buy enough votes to make sure the legislation passed, and found legislators willing to sell their votes.

The defense, however, claimed the only guilty people in the alleged conspiracy had already admitted to their crimes. Former Country Crossing developer Ronnie Gilley and his chief lobbyist, Jarrod Massey, had already pleaded. Defense attorneys claimed the two were willing to make up stories against their clients in exchange for a reduced sentence.

The motives of legislators who wore recording devices in an attempt to preserve any evidence were questioned by defense attorneys who claimed the legislators were politically motivated. The racial motivation of some witnesses was also challenged.

The trial lasted three months, almost all of it involving the prosecution’s case. The government used 17 witnesses, played more than 125 recorded conversations involving defendants and legislators who cooperated with the investigation. It introduced contracts, financial documents and other evidence in an attempt to establish a conspiracy.

The defense called only one witness before resting the case and none of the defendants took the stand. The jury deliberated for more than a week. On Aug. 11, it reached a not-guilty consensus on many of the charges, but failed to come to a consensus on others.

Two defendants, lobbyist Robert Geddie and Sen. Quinton Ross, D-Montgomery, were cleared of all charges. Seven defendants, however, are set for retrial on the remaining charges beginning Jan. 30. They are Sen. Harri Anne Smith, I-Slocomb; VictoryLand owner Milton McGregor, former Country Crossing spokesperson Jay Walker, lobbyist Tom Coker, former Sens. Jim Preuitt and Larry Means and legislative analyst Ray Crosby.

Much of the same evidence introduced in the first trial is expected to be introduced again in the second trial. However, one new wrinkle is the possible testimony of former Gov. Bob Riley. Defendants attempted to subpoena Riley to testify in the first trial, but a judge quashed the subpoena. Recently, however, a federal judge granted the subpoena request based on new evidence. Riley’s attorneys are expected to continue to challenge the subpoena.