Police Bust Weekly Mahjong Game Played By Elderly Women

[phill4paul]

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. (CBS Tampa) — Police in Florida busted a game of mahjong in Florida at a condominium clubhouse. The group accused of the crime: four women between the ages of 87 and 95.

Heritage Florida reports that police came to shut down the friendly game played by Lee Delnick, Bernice Diamond, Helen Greenspan and Zelda King.

King says word spread about their weekly gathering and that a “troublemaker” in the community called the police citing a law that prohibits playing the game for money. Police closed the clubhouse.

The women were sent a formal notice from condominium management stating that there would be no more mahjong, bingo, or poker played in the location until further notice. Police reportedly stopped by several times later that week to make sure the games weren’t being played.

“This is ridiculous,” King said. “We haven’t played in the clubhouse for weeks! We have to go to each other’s homes to play and not everyone lives in Escondido. It is an international game and we are being crucified!”

The 87-year-old said the game is good for the elderly and that even her doctor has told her that it can delay dementia. The women suggested they could “just play for fun” without money, but the property manager said they should “lay low,” until things were resolved.

After a bit of investigating, officials came to the conclusion that there is no ordinance prohibiting mahjong gambling of the nature.

Heritage Florida did find Statute 849.085, which states: “Certain penny-ante games are not crimes; ‘Penny-ante game’ means a game or series of games of poker, pinochle, bridge, rummy, canasta, hearts, dominoes, or mahjong in which the winnings of any player in a single round, hand, or game do not exceed $10 in value.”

The women playing had a $4 limit. The women also had homeowner rights, were over the age of 18, and were not enforcing debt to be paid.

It is unclear what ordinance the caller thought the group of ladies were violating and why police officials decided to break up the game.

http://tampa.cbslocal.com/2015/11/24...elderly-women/

[Suzanimal]

Protected and served.

[angelatc]

Heritage Florida did find Statute 849.085, which states: “Certain penny-ante games are not crimes; ‘Penny-ante game’ means a game or series of games of poker, pinochle, bridge, rummy, canasta, hearts, dominoes, or mahjong in which the winnings of any player in a single round, hand, or game do not exceed $10 in value.”

This law was passed as a result of a story that made national news before the internet. A group of men known as the Largo 8 were actually convicted of gambling in a penny ante poker game.

Am I the only person who remembers this? It was 1982. I understand why people under 40 might not know. But in the ranks of law enforcement and prosecutors, is there nobody on the front lines with any inclination to investigate the laws before initiating raids, especially over stupid victimless crimes?

[Dr. Dog]

But in the ranks of law enforcement and prosecutors, is there nobody on the front lines with any inclination to investigate the laws before initiating raids, especially over stupid victimless crimes?

Law enforcement is too busy keeping you safe to bother with that sort of thing.

[Cleaner44]

This law was passed as a result of a story that made national news before the internet. A group of men known as the Largo 8 were actually convicted of gambling in a penny ante poker game.

Am I the only person who remembers this? It was 1982. I understand why people under 40 might not know. But in the ranks of law enforcement and prosecutors, is there nobody on the front lines with any inclination to investigate the laws before initiating raids, especially over stupid victimless crimes?

Government workers aren't always lazy, but when they are, they prefer to go in with guns blazing.

[phill4paul]

This law was passed as a result of a story that made national news before the internet. A group of men known as the Largo 8 were actually convicted of gambling in a penny ante poker game.

Am I the only person who remembers this? It was 1982. I understand why people under 40 might not know. But in the ranks of law enforcement and prosecutors, is there nobody on the front lines with any inclination to investigate the laws before initiating raids, especially over stupid victimless crimes?

Wow. Talk about a 'way-back.' You have a good memory. I do remember hearing about this from one of my parents friends that still lived in Homestead after we had moved.

[angelatc]

Wow. Talk about a 'way-back.' You have a good memory. I do remember hearing about this from one of my parents friends that still lived in Homestead after we had moved.

Ha ha. I can remember things that happened 30 years ago, but ask me about something that happened last week and the results will be much different.

Part of the reason i remember it is because when i lived in Florida, "everybody" knew that gambling in FL was not illegal as long as the pot didn't exceed $10.00.

[Anti Federalist]

It is unclear what ordinance the caller thought the group of ladies were violating and why police officials decided to break up the game.

To show those uppity Mundanes just who the $#@! the boss is around this here plantation.

Is there ever any other reason?

[Ronin Truth]

Are they the wives of the Cosa Nostra dons?

[osan]

http://tampa.cbslocal.com/2015/11/24...elderly-women/

OK, so let us run this down.

1. Some douchebag, whether maliciously or ignorantly, calls police and cites a non-existent ordinance.

2. Other douchebags, known commonly as "the police", act on the complaint.

3. Police-douches had NO idea whether such an ordinance actually existed.

4. Police-douches ASSumed it existed and acted accordingly

5. Police-douches raid a klatch of 4 very old women play friggin' mahjong.

6. Police-douches close down the clubhouse. By what authoritity? Police-douche^Police-douche

7. Turned out, there was no such ordinance.

8. Turned out, there was explicit language protecting the exact type of game the young misses were playing.

9. Police-douches make no apologies.

10. Police-douches not held accountable for their bumbling ineptitude.

Nothing to see here, mundanes!

[osan]

...[I]n the ranks of law enforcement and prosecutors, is there nobody on the front lines with any inclination to investigate the laws before initiating raids, especially over stupid victimless crimes?

Are you for real?

[phill4paul]

OK, so let us run this down.

1. Some douchebag, whether maliciously or ignorantly, calls police and cites a non-existent ordinance.

2. Other douchebags, known commonly as "the police", act on the complaint.

3. Police-douches had NO idea whether such an ordinance actually existed.

4. Police-douches ASSumed it existed and acted accordingly

5. Police-douches raid a klatch of 4 very old women play friggin' mahjong.

6. Police-douches close down the clubhouse. By what authoritity? Police-douche^Police-douche

7. Turned out, there was no such ordinance.

8. Turned out, there was explicit language protecting the exact type of game the young misses were playing.

9. Police-douches make no apologies.

10. Police-douches not held accountable for their bumbling ineptitude.

Nothing to see here, mundanes!

That about wraps it up and ties it in a bow.

God save the young buck that pushes his chest out to me when I'm in my mid-eighties. I'll be thinking "free sub-par medical care and food" if I live through this.

[fisharmor]

OK, so let us run this down.

1. Some douchebag, whether maliciously or ignorantly, calls police and cites a non-existent ordinance.

2. Other douchebags, known commonly as "the police", act on the complaint.

3. Police-douches had NO idea whether such an ordinance actually existed.

4. Police-douches ASSumed it existed and acted accordingly

5. Police-douches raid a klatch of 4 very old women play friggin' mahjong.

6. Police-douches close down the clubhouse. By what authoritity? Police-douche^Police-douche

7. Turned out, there was no such ordinance.

8. Turned out, there was explicit language protecting the exact type of game the young misses were playing.

9. Police-douches make no apologies.

10. Police-douches not held accountable for their bumbling ineptitude.

Nothing to see here, mundanes!

Can anyone seriously make the case that this isn't exactly how things have gone down since 1840?

This is exactly what happened to me when the cops caught my daughter trying to walk around the block by herself. They handed us a card given to them by CPS showing ages when kids are allowed to be alone. I asked them how the hell am I supposed to know what the ages are or whether you guys changed them? They said you need to check the code. I told them that was a bull$#@! answer, and neither of them said anything after that.

I looked at their card for a couple minutes and then observed, "You know, if you guys are going to make a big deal about the codes and how I'm supposed to know them, do you think you maybe ought to have the codes listed on this card you're handing out?" No response.

Turns out, no such code exists. They called a commonwealth attorney - because cops absolutely do not make any legal judgments - and the CA wanted to charge us with felony child neglect.
The magistrate wasn't quite so crazy as that (or, much more likely, he knew it would never stick) so they reduced it to "contributing to the delinquency of a minor". Which is usually for people who buy kids alcohol and such - but the statute is apparently broad enough that they can make almost anything stick.

Which is the point. First they target you, and then they figure out what to stick you with.

But in the ranks of law enforcement and prosecutors, is there nobody on the front lines with any inclination to investigate the laws before initiating raids, especially over stupid victimless crimes?

What possible reason would there be for them to know anything about the law?
The only thing they NEED to know is what they can make stick. That's it.
Because the job of these people is not now, never has been, and NEVER WILL BE to protect or serve anybody but the state.
That's their job. Cruise around and make people's lives miserable.
And there are a whole army of them operating in concert to make it happen.

Adam freaking Smith pointed out that people are generally going to do the least amount of work for the most gain. So if you tell people to go catch people making trouble, they're going for the lowest hanging fruit they can get.

It doesn't matter what the law says: all that matters is that they caught a troublemaker. As I've pointed out multiple times here: if you want them to do something else, something better, you're not talking about cops anymore.

[phill4paul]

Can anyone seriously make the case that this isn't exactly how things have gone down since 1840?

This is exactly what happened to me when the cops caught my daughter trying to walk around the block by herself. They handed us a card given to them by CPS showing ages when kids are allowed to be alone. I asked them how the hell am I supposed to know what the ages are or whether you guys changed them? They said you need to check the code. I told them that was a bull$#@! answer, and neither of them said anything after that.

I looked at their card for a couple minutes and then observed, "You know, if you guys are going to make a big deal about the codes and how I'm supposed to know them, do you think you maybe ought to have the codes listed on this card you're handing out?" No response.

Turns out, no such code exists. They called a commonwealth attorney - because cops absolutely do not make any legal judgments - and the CA wanted to charge us with felony child neglect.
The magistrate wasn't quite so crazy as that (or, much more likely, he knew it would never stick) so they reduced it to "contributing to the delinquency of a minor". Which is usually for people who buy kids alcohol and such - but the statute is apparently broad enough that they can make almost anything stick.

Which is the point. First they target you, and then they figure out what to stick you with.




What possible reason would there be for them to know anything about the law?
The only thing they NEED to know is what they can make stick. That's it.
Because the job of these people is not now, never has been, and NEVER WILL BE to protect or serve anybody but the state.
That's their job. Cruise around and make people's lives miserable.
And there are a whole army of them operating in concert to make it happen.

Adam freaking Smith pointed out that people are generally going to do the least amount of work for the most gain. So if you tell people to go catch people making trouble, they're going for the lowest hanging fruit they can get.

It doesn't matter what the law says: all that matters is that they caught a troublemaker. As I've pointed out multiple times here: if you want them to do something else, something better, you're not talking about cops anymore.

Spot on. http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthr...-United-States