Poker Players Alliance Files 'Friend of the Court' Motion

Published: Thursday, July 16, 2009 Online-Casinos.com

The Poker Players Alliance has filed an Amicus Brief Motion in the case that is contesting the seizures of funds owned by poker players in the USA. In a press release by the organization the group stated they wanted to participate as amicus curiae, or "friend of the court," in the filing by payment processor Account Services contesting the freezing of funds by officials from the Southern District of New York.

Amicus curiae or amicus curiæ (plural amici curiae) is a legal latin phrase, literally translated as "friend of the court", that refers to someone, not a party to a case, who volunteers to offer information on a point of law or some other aspect of the case to assist the court in deciding a matter before it.

The amicus curiae figure originates in Roman Law. Starting in the 9th century, it was incorporated to British law, and was later extended to most of common law systems. Later, it was also introduced in international law in particular concerning human rights issues. From there, it was integrated in some civil law systems. Today, it is used by the European Court of Human Rights,the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

If the motion is granted, the PPA will have the opportunity to brief members of the court and participate in hearings regarding the legality of poker and the players' right to have their funds returned. John Pappas the PPA's leader said, "Any action contesting the government's seizure of players' funds will help protect the rights of U.S. Internet poker players, and we will explore every legal avenue to ensure that our members' voices are heard and their rights are protected,"

In prominent cases, amici curiae are generally organizations with sizable legal budgets. Non-profit legal advocacy organizations, frequently submit such briefs to advocate for or against a particular legal change or interpretation. Where a case may have broader implications, amicus curiae briefs are a way to introduce those concerns, so that the possibly broad legal effects of court decisions will not depend solely on the parties directly involved in the case.