A trial is currently underway in Alabama where nine people stand accused of concocting a scheme to pass legislation that would help casinos in the state. Land owner, Milton McGregor and eight other defendants have been widely quoted in the local press, and we bring you some of the more piquant quotes:
Developer Ronnie Gilley is quoted as saying that he went to college for less than a year but “graduated from Hard Knock University.”
McGregor is quoted on tape as saying about the gambling bill that “if we fail, the only thing left standing is the Indians.”
Joe Epsy, McGregor’s attorney, questioned Rep. Barry Mask, who taped conversations between himself and McGregor and helped indict him and the other eight. He brought up the hypocrisy of Mask publicly criticizing gambling, while playing a game of poker, to which Mask replied: “We love to play cards.”
Some (real!) Alabama laws:
· It is illegal for a driver to be blindfolded while operating a vehicle.
· Dominoes may not be played on Sunday.
· Bear wrestling matches are prohibited.
· It is legal to drive the wrong way down a one-way street if you have a lantern attached to the front of your automobile.
· You must have windshield wipers on your car.
· You may not have an ice cream cone in your back pocket at any time.
· Masks may not be worn in public.
· Men may not spit in front of the opposite sex.
· It is illegal to maim oneself to escape duty.
· It is illegal to impersonate a person of the clergy.
· Women are able to retain all property they owned prior to marriage in the case of divorce. However, this provision does not apply to men.
· Incestous marriages are legal.
