Case Name: STATE of Louisiana v. Joseph G. MADERE; Joseph G. MADERE v. STATE of Louisiana, et al.
Court: Louisiana Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1981-06-22
Citations: 400 So. 2d 665
Docket Number: No. 81-C-0665
Parties: STATE of Louisiana v. Joseph G. MADERE. Joseph G. MADERE v. STATE of Louisiana, et al.
Judges: WATSON and LEMMON, JJ., dissent.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 400
Pages: 665–665

Head Matter:
STATE of Louisiana v. Joseph G. MADERE. Joseph G. MADERE v. STATE of Louisiana, et al.
No. 81-C-0665.
Supreme Court of Louisiana.
June 22, 1981.
Daniel E. Becnel, Jr., Reserve, for plaintiff-appellee.
William J. Guste, Jr., Atty. Gen., Harry H. Howard, Asst. Atty. Gen., Howard P. Elliott, Jr., General Counsel, Baton Rouge, Robert E. Winn, of Sessions, Fishman, Ro-senson, Boisfontaine & Nathan, New Orleans, for defendants-appellants.

Opinion:
DENNIS, Justice.
This is an appeal by the state from a district court judgment declaring uncohsti-tutional La.R.S. 15:31 insofar as it subjects gambling devices to immediate confiscation and destruction even when they are not used for gambling. The judgment is reversed. A gambling device, as defined by La.R.S. 15:31(B), constitutes contraband. Accordingly, a statute requiring its confiscation and immediate destruction does not violate due process or property rights under either the state or federal constitution. Brown v. State, etc., 392 So.2d 415 (La.1980).
REVERSED.
WATSON and LEMMON, JJ., dissent.