LA Game busted!

[audiopostman]

The city fine will actually between $10 and $1000 with the posibility of up to 6 months in jail at the judges discretion.

Also, I have called and spoke with the community relations officer but I can not get a police report unless I was cited. When I told him my concern that I was afraid to play poker at home games anymore, he said not to worry that the LAPD is not after home games and that there had to be another reason to bust that game like drugs, etc.

FYI, CA State law allows gambling so long as no rake is taken. (337j) However, LA County Law so far as I can tell, makes it illegal as well as LA city law. So basically no home games allowed in LA County.

There is a loophole, I think. Are there any lawyers here that can help to decifer this? If the CA penal code 337j "positively permits" home games then home games would be okay in LA county according to 13.20.020. They still would be subject to the local city ordinance.


Los Angeles County Ordinance

Chapter 13.20 GAMBLING AND RELATED ACTIVITIES (17)
13.20.020 Acts regulated by state.
The ordinance codified in this chapter does not prohibit any act either positively permitted or prohibited by state law. (Ord. 9555 § 2 (part), 1968: Ord. 461 Art. 1 § 3, 1917.)

13.20.030 Gambling activities prohibited.
A person shall not deal, play, carry on, or conduct:
A. Any game where players bet or wager money, checks, credits or other things of value against each other; or
B. Any game of chance for money, checks, credits or other things of value. (Ord. 11114 § 1, 1975: Ord. 9555 § 2 (part), 1968: Ord. 461 Art. 2 § 21, 1917.)

13.20.110 Violation -- Penalty.
Every person violating any provision of this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine not exceeding $500.00 or by imprisonment in the County Jail for a period not exceeding six months, or by both such fine and imprisonment. (Ord. 9555 § 2 (part), 1968: Ord. 461 Art. 1 § 4, 1917.)