U.S. Supreme Court stands by 'little old lady;' denies Ilitch Casino its $0.05 Cents

U.S. Supreme Court
denies Ilitch Casino’s Appeal

As her attorneys explained … A “little old lady” from Troy, Michigan and her girlfriends took a chartered bus trip to MotorCity Casino back in 2001. After playing the nickel slots, the grandmother of nine spotted a nickel token in the tray of an unattended machine and tried to play it.

But before she could do so, security officers surrounded her, took her away to a backroom, demanded to see her identification, questioned and photographed her, held her against her will, refused to let her join the group she’d come with and then evicted her from the casino.

She said they also confiscated her $9 meal ticket; the buffet lunch is one of things that attract the senior citizens to these day trips.

In 2003, a federal jury unanimously awarded the woman $270 – and five cents -- in general damages and $875,000 in punitive damages. The award had been upheld by a federal court of appeals earlier.

Aggressive attorney’s for Ilitch casino units decided to push their appeals all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. In October 2006, after both sides had submitted written briefs, and rebuttals the U.S. Supreme Court denied the Ilitch Team’s appeal upholding the original jury’s position in favor of the now 77-year-old woman.

An Ilitch casino spokesman tried to explain their position when he said, "Because it's not your money, you're taking something that doesn't belong to you. He explained their position is that it's owned by the person who bet it or by Mrs. Ilitch’s casino.

Casinos nationwide frown on "slot walking," the art of finding abandoned credit on slot machines or tokens in the hopper that haven't been played.

Last summer, attorneys for both sides submitted briefs and counter arguments. And the Supreme Court Justices made their position known in October; upholding jury’s original decision.

SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES (JOURNAL) MONDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2006 Present: Chief Justice Roberts, Justice Stevens, Justice Scalia, Justice Kennedy, Justice Souter, Justice Thomas, and Justice Alito. The Chief Justice said: “I have the honor to announce, on behalf of the Court, that the October 2005 Term of the Supreme Court of the United States is now closed, and the October 2006 Term is now convened. “Today’s orders of the Court have been duly entered and certified, and filed with the Clerk, and they will not be otherwise announced. … No. 06–38. Detroit Entertainment, L.L.C., dba MotorCity Casino, et al., Petitioners v. Stella Romanski. Motion of Greektown Casino, LLC, et al., for leave to file a brief as amici curiae granted. Petition for writ of certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit denied.