Casino Effort Calls and Raises

Following up on posts from last week, the would-be casino operators who were subject to an injunction last week have moved to have the whole thing vacated. Their theory -- that Mahoning County Common Pleas doesn't have jurisdiction over a statewide petition effort makes little sense. Where violation of a state law is alleged, you are going to start at the county level somewhere -- there is no statewide court with original jurisdiction. Without seeing the actual motion, it's hard to opine further.

Having said that, this description of the argument in the Dispatch's Daily Briefing blog is pretty funny. Granted this is a reporter putting the position into non-legalese, but it's pretty funny:

In today's legal filings, the Ohio Jobs and Growth Committee asks Mahoning County Common Pleas Judge James Evans to dismiss the party's lawsuit and lift the restraining order against lying. The committee's lawyers say the Mahoning County court has no jurisdiction over a statewide signature-gathering process and that the Democratic Party is playing politics.

Objecting to an injunction against lying? Accusing a political party of playing politics? Yep, sounds like a gambling initiative.