United States Fourth Circuit

A state statute which bans the operation of video gaming machines in North Carolina, unless the owner can establish that the machines were in lawful operation before June 30, 2000 and registered for ad valorem taxation by January 31, 2000, violates equal protection.

Appellate Information

• Decided 05/27/2003
• Published 05/27/2003

Judges

• Before WILKINSON, NIEMEYER, and WILLIAMS, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Fourth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellees:
  
• ARGUED:  Scott Douglas MacLatchie, Womble, Carlyle, Sandridge & Rice, Charlotte, North Carolina;  John Julian Aldridge, III, Special Deputy Attorney General, Raleigh, North Carolina, for Appellants.  Luther Donald Starling, Jr., Daughtry, Woodard, Lawrence & Starling, Smithfield, North Carolina, for Appellee.   ON BRIEF:  Isaac T. Avery, III, Special Deputy Attorney General, Raleigh, North Carolina, for Appellants.