Ala. Supreme Court reverses Bessemer bingo decision, cases to move forward [Video]

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – Eight Bessemer cases involving electronic bingo will now be heard by a judge in the Bessemer Division. Friday, April 19, the Alabama Supreme Court reversed a decision by a Bessemer Division judge, who initially dismissed the cases over lack of jurisdiction.

How did we get here?

The Attorney General’s Office filed search warrants in Jefferson County’s Birmingham Division for 14 electronic bingo businesses in early 2023.

During the initial hearing, Judge Elisabeth French entered temporary restraining orders, or TROs, and transferred eight of those cases to the Bessemer Division.

The cases were assigned to Bessemer Division Circuit Judge David Carpenter, who found the Birmingham Division lacked jurisdiction to enter the TROs. Carpenter then dissolved the TROs and dismissed the cases.

The Supreme Court found that the Birmingham Division had jurisdiction to make the decisions in question and reversed Carpenter’s order.

Prior to the cases being dismissed in the Bessemer Division, the state …