Louisiana In Limbo Over Ex Sportingbet Exec

Published: Friday, October 13, 2006 Online-Casinos.com

LOUISIANA IN LIMBO

The failed extradition of Peter Dicks has left enforcement officials stumped

The 2 the advocate.com law news reported from Lafayette this week that Louisiana's prosecution of a former British gambling company executive is in what could be a perpetual state of limbo after failed efforts to extradite the man from New York.

The story relates the New York arrest of the then Sportingbet chairman Peter Dicks last month on a covert warrant from St. Landry Parish in connection with a state police sting investigation into Internet gambling, which is prohibited in the state. When the New York governor refused to extradite Dicks to Louisiana to face the charges in the warrant, it left the southern state's officials in something of a quandary.

Dicks, has since returned to his home in London, and state police spokesman Dwight Robinette Jr. said the state warrant against him remains in effect, but he could only speculate on the future of the prosecution. "It's more of a waiting game, a limbo. It could be years from now; it could be next week" Robinette said.

St. Landry Parish First Assistant District Attorney Frank Trosclair, whose office would handle the prosecution, said Dicks could be arrested again if he entered Louisiana or another state with laws that would allow for his extradition. "If he would come into Louisiana, then the court would have jurisdiction over his person."

Until that time, state prosecutors have few options.

"The state is basically where it was before he came to New York" Trosclair said, referring to Dicks. "What happens next, we just see. It's kind of an unusual situation."