Leon County Court Dismisses Allied Veterans’ Lawsuit and Motion for Temporary Injunction

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, the Circuit Court in Leon County entered an order dismissing Allied Veterans’ lawsuit with prejudice. The dismissal was entered just one day prior to a hearing scheduled on Allied Veterans’ emergency motion for a temporary injunction in an action originally filed against the state of Florida in August. In its order, the Court states that the Sheriffs of Florida’s various counties are not stand-ins for the state itself. Therefore, Allied Veterans’ lawsuit and emergency motion for temporary injunction were improperly filed against the state.

“Now that their attempt has failed, Allied Veterans will have to continue to defend the lawsuit that our client has brought to declare their practices illegal.”

In its action, Allied Veterans was seeking a declaration that it was not engaging in illegal gambling activities, and was looking to prohibit law enforcement agencies from taking actions similar to those of the Sheriffs' offices in Pinellas, Jackson and Marion Counties. Law enforcement agencies in those various counties have forcibly closed Allied Veterans’ establishments by conducting gambling investigations, police raids and seizing assets wherein at least one person was arrested at Allied Veterans’ “Internet Cafés.”

“This was Allied Veterans’ attempt to pick a forum to somehow have its practices declared lawful,” according to Jacksonville Greyhound Racing, Inc.’s attorney Michael Freed. “Now that their attempt has failed, Allied Veterans will have to continue to defend the lawsuit that our client has brought to declare their practices illegal.”

In a lawsuit filed in the 4^th Judicial Circuit in August, Jacksonville Greyhound Racing, Inc. claims that Allied Veterans of the World is in violation of Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act and Florida’s Civil Remedies for Criminal Practices Act. The lawsuit also maintains that Allied Veterans’ establishments are a common nuisance pursuant to section 849.20 of the Florida Statutes.