State v. 25 Slot MacHines

Harshbarger, Justice:

On September 7, 1977, twenty-five slot machines were seized at four fraternal organizations in Brooke County. On September 29, the State petitioned the circuit court of that county for authority to destroy the ma chines under W. Va. Code, 61-10-1. The petition alleged that the State did not know who owned them. The machines had benevolent friends who employed counsel for them. Acting upon his advice they admitted that the State did not have sufficient information to ascertain ownership. However, the machines would or could not divulge who owned them. The State moved to…