Title: PALMER v STATE
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: 80-354
State: Montana
Issuer: Montana Supreme Court
Date: March 23, 1981

No. 80-354 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA BURCH PALMER, Individually and as Representative of and on behalf of himself, et al., Plaintiff and Appellant, THE STATE OF MONTANA, Defendant and Respondent. Appeal from: District Court of the Sixteenth Judicial ~istrict, In and for the County of Custer. Honorable Alfred B. Coate, Judge presiding. Counsel of Record: For Appellant: Moses Law Firm, Billings, Montana Charles F. Moses argued, Billings, Montana For Respondent: Hon. Mike Greely, Attorney General, Helena, Montana Allen Chronister argued, Assistant Attorney General, Helena, Montana Keith D. Haker, County Attorney, Miles City, Montana For Amicus Curiae: Karen S. Townsend, County Prosecutor Services Bureau, Helena, Montana Submitted: February 18, 1981 Decided: 2 4 1981 M r . Chief J u s t i c e Frank I. Haswell d e l i v e r e d t h e Opinion of t h e C o u r t . Burch Palmer brought d e c l a r a t o r y judgment act i o n i n t h e S i x t e e n t h J u d i c i a l D i s t r i c t Court, C u s t e r County, f o r t h e purpose o f d e t e r m i n i n g t h e c o n s t i t u t i o n a l i t y of s e c t i o n 23-5-311, MCA. Palmer a p p e a l s from t h e D i s t r i c t C o u r t ' s o r d e r d e c l a r i n g t h e sta- t u t e c o n s t i t u t i o n a l . W e a f f i r m . On a p p e a l Palmer raises t h e f o l l o w i n g i s s u e s : 1. Does s e c t i o n 23-5-311, MCA, u n c o n s t i t u t i o n a l l y deny e q u a l p r o t e c t i o n of t h e laws? 2. Is s e c t i o n 23-5-311, MCA, s p e c i a l l e g i s l a t i o n which v i o l a t e s 1972 Mont. Const., A r t . V., § 12? 3. Is s e c t i o n 23-5-311, MCA, v o i d f o r vagueness? Palmer is t h e owner and o p e r a t o r of t h e A l t a S a l o o n i n Miles C i t y , Montana. On August 8, 1979, t h e S t a t e f i l e d a n i n f o r m a t i o n c h a r g i n g Palmer w i t h conducting an u n a u t h o r i z e d c a r d game, s p e c i f i c a l l y a b l a c k j a c k game, i n v i o l a t i o n of s e c t i o n s 23-5-311 and 331, MCA. Palmer c h a l l e n g e d t h e c o n s t i t u t i o n a l i t y o f t h e s t a t u t e s , b u t t h e District Court r u l e d a d v e r s e l y to Palmer and t h i s Court d e c l i n e d to i s s u e a w r i t of s u p e r v i s o r y c o n t r o l . The p a r t i e s t h e n s t i p u l a t e d t h a t t h e S t a t e would s t a y any f u r t h e r p r o s e c u t i o n p r o c e e d i n g s i f Palmer brought t h e i n s t a n t d e c l a r a t o r y a c t i o n . T h i s a p p e a l f o l l o w s t h e District Court r u l i n g i n f a v o r o f t h e S t a t e i n t h e d e c l a r a t o r y a c t i o n . S e c t i o n 23-5-311, MCA, r e a d s as f o l l o w s : " A u t h o r i z e d c a r d games: (1) I t is u n l a w f u l f o r a n y p e r s o n to conduct or p a r t i c i p a t e i n any card game or make any t a b l e s a v a i l a b l e f o r t h e p l a y i n g of c a r d games e x c e p t t h o s e card games a u t h o r i z e d by t h i s p a r t . " ( 2 ) The c a r d games a u t h o r i z e d by t h i s part are and are l i m i t e d to t h e card games known as b r i d g e , c r i b b a g e , h e a r t s , panguingue , p i n o c h l e , p i t c h , rummy, w h i s t , solo, and poker." Palmer a r g u e s t h e s e c t i o n must be d e c l a r e d i n v a l i d as a d e n i a l of e q u a l p r o t e c t i o n because it d i s t i n g u i s h e s between d i f f e r e n t act i- v i t i e s w i t h i n t h e same g e n e r i c class of card games a b s e n t any r a t i o n a l b a s i s o r compelling s t a t e i n t e r e s t t o s u p p o r t t h e d i s t i n c t i o n . Palmer i n s i s t s t h i s s t a t u t o r y c l a s s i f i c a t i o n d i s c r i m i n a t e s n o t o n l y a g a i n s t c e r t a i n card games, b u t a l s o a g a i n s t gamblers who d e s i r e to conduct and p a r t i c i p a t e i n t h o s e u n a u t h o r i z e d c a r d games. N e v e r t h e l e s s we f i n d t h e s t a t u t e a p p l i e s u n i f o r m l y across- the-board t o a l l p e r s o n s w i t h i n t h e S t a t e of Montana. There is c o n s e q u e n t l y no c l a s s i f i c a t i o n whatever. Accordingly t h e e q u a l p r o t e c t i o n argument is n o t p r o p e r l y b e f o r e us, and we need n o t engage i n e q u a l p r o t e c t i o n a n a l y s i s as s e t f o r t h i n S t a t e v. J a c k ( 1 9 7 5 ) , 167 Mont. 456, 539 P.2d 726. I n s t e a d , we need go no f u r t h e r t h a n S t a t e , E t c . v . District C o u r t , E t c . ( 1 9 7 9 ) , Mont . , 591 P.2d 656, 36 St.Rep. 489, ( h e r e i n a f t e r Zander), i n d i s p o s i n g of t h i s i s s u e . I n Zander we held: "Criminal s t a t u t e s need n o t a p p l y t o a l l a r e a s t h a t may be i n j u r i o u s t o p u b l i c h e a l t h and f a i l u r e of t h e l e g i s l a t u r e to do so does not c o n s t i t u t e d e n i a l of e q u a l p r o t e c t i o n of t h e laws. ( C i t i n g case. ) D e t e r m i n a t i o n o r classi- f i c a t i o n of t h e s u b j e c t s of l e g i s l a t i o n does n o t deny e q u a l p r o t e c t i o n . ( C i t i n g c a s e s . ) I f a l l p e r s o n s i n t h e same class are t r e a t e d a l i k e , t h e r e is no v i o l a t i o n of e q u a l p r o t e c t i o n . ( C i t i n g cases. ) Here t h e r e is b u t one c l a s s and a l l p e r s o n s w i t h i n t h a t class are t r e a t e d e q u a l l y s a t i s f y i n g c o n s t i t u t i o n a l e q u a l p r o t e c - t i o n requirements." 591 P.2d a t 661, 36 St.Rep. a t 494, 495. W e do n o t reach a d e t e r m i n a t i o n of whether any, some, o r a l l c a r d games should be a u t h o r i z e d . T h i s is p a t e n t l y a q u e s t i o n o f s t a t e l a w f o r d e t e r m i n a t i o n by t h e l e g i s l a t u r e . The l e g i s l a - t u r e h a s spoken i n t h i s i n s t a n c e through its enactment of t h e Card G a m e s A c t , s e c t i o n s 23-5-301 e t seq., MCA. The A c t e x p r e s s e s t h e l e g i s l a t i v e i n t e n t i o n t h a t o n l y c e r t a i n card games by which p a r t i c i p a n t s v i e a g a i n s t one a n o t h e r , i n t e r - se, s h a l l b e a u t h o r i z e d and t h a t c a r d games where each p l a y e r v i e s a g a i n s t t h e house are p r o h i b i t e d . The obvious l e g i s l a t i v e purpose is to ban casino-type gambling. S i n c e t h e l e g i s l a t u r e h a s e x e r c i s e d its a u t h o r i t y i n an evenhanded f a s h i o n , it h a s not run a f o u l of t h e e q u a l p r o t e c t i o n d o c t r i n e . W e t h e r e f o r e w i l l n o t i n t r u d e on t h e l e g i s l a t i v e p r e r o g a t i v e under t h e q u e s t i o n a b l e t h e o r y t h a t t h e r e is no p o l i c y b a s i s f o r t h e A c t and t h a t t h e l e g i s l a t u r e had no r a t i o n a l b a s i s f o r its enactment. Zander, 591 P.2d a t 660, 36 P a l m e r ' s second argument is a c o r o l l a r y t o h i s f i r s t : t h a t s e c t i o n 23-5-311, MCA, is s p e c i a l l e g i s l a t i o n which d i s c r i - m i n a t e s a g a i n s t b l a c k j a c k and t h o s e gamblers who p r e f e r to p l a y b l a c k j a c k . Palmer i n s i s t s t h e s p e c i a l l e g i s l a t i o n v i o l a t e s 1972 Mont. Const. A r t . V, § 12. T h i s approach toward i n v a l i d a t i n g t h e s t a t u t e is e q u a l l y u n p e r s u a s i v e . I n Arps v. S t a t e Highway Commission ( 1 9 3 1 ) , 90 Mont. 152, 164-5, 300 P. 549, 554, o v e r r u l e d on o t h e r grounds, Burgan & Walker v. S t a t e Highway Comm'n ( 1 9 4 3 ) , 114 Mont. 459, 137 P.2d 663, t h i s Court a r t i c u l a t e d t h e f o l l o w i n g d i s t i n c t i o n between s p e c i a l and g e n e r a l l e g i s l a t i o n : "The o b j e c t of t h e p r o h i b i t i o n of s p e c i a l o r l o c a l laws is to p r e v e n t a d i v e r s i t y of laws r e l a t i n g t o t h e same s u b j e c t . ( C i t a t i o n s . ) A l a w is n o t local or s p e c i a l i n a c o n s t i t u t i o n a l s e n s e t h a t o p e r a t e s i n t h e same manner upon a l l p e r s o n s i n l i k e c i r c u m s t a n c e s . 'General laws are t h o s e which relate t o o r bind a l l w i t h i n t h e j u r i s d i c t i o n of t h e law-making power, and i f a l a w is g e n e r a l and o p e r a t e s u n i f o r m l y and e q u a l l y upon a l l brought w i t h i n t h e r e l a t i o n and c i r c u m s t a n c e s f o r which it p r o v i d e s it is not a l o c a l or s p e c i a l law i n t h e c o n s t i t u t i o n a l s e n s e . I' A s w e have a l r e a d y n o t e d , s e c t i o n 23-5-311, MCA, makes it u n l a w f u l f o r - any p e r s o n to conduct or p a r t i c i p a t e i n any c a r d game n o t s p e c i f i c a l l y a u t h o r i z e d . The s t a t u t e is g e n e r a l and o p e r a t e s u n i f o r m l y and e q u a l l y upon a l l p e r s o n s i n t h e S t a t e of Montana. The s t a t u t e t h u s c l e a r l y is a g e n e r a l r a t h e r t h a n a l o c a l or s p e c i a l l a w i n t h e c o n s t i t u t i o n a l s e n s e . Palmer l a s t l y a t t a c k s s e c t i o n 23-5-311, MCA, on vagueness grounds. H e a r g u e s t h a t s i n c e t h e r e are no p r o v i s i o n s d e f i n i n g t h e a u t h o r i z e d c a r d games such as poker, or t h e u n a u t h o r i z e d c a r d games such as b l a c k j a c k , it is n o t p o s s i b l e f o r a p r o s p e c t i v e c a r d game o p e r a t o r or p a r t i c i p a n t to a d e q u a t e l y d e t e r m i n e whether a g i v e n game is a u t h o r i z e d under t h e s t a t u t e . W e need n o t a d d r e s s t h e m e r i t s of t h i s i s s u e . The word "poker", which P a l m e r is h e r e a t t a c k i n g as u n c o n s t i t u t i o n a l l y vague, is of a n c i e n t and common u n d e r s t a n d i n g . Palmer is a p p a r e n t l y knowledgeable of t h e meaning of poker, a t least to t h e e x t e n t t h a t b l a c k j a c k is n o t encompassed w i t h i n t h a t meaning. A t no t i m e h a s Palmer contended t h e b l a c k j a c k game he conducted a t t h e A l t a Saloon was a v a r i a t i o n of poker. Palmer's c o u n s e l a d m i t t e d a t oral argument t h a t Palmer and o t h e r s i n h i s p o s i t i o n i n f a c t r e a l i z e t h a t b l a c k j a c k d e f i n i t e l y is n o t a v a r i a t i o n of p o k e r . S i n c e Palmer was n e i t h e r i n j u r e d n o r j e o p a r d i z e d by t h e a l l e g e d vagueness of t h e word "poker", hence by t h e o p e r a t i o n of t h e s t a t u t e , he l a c k s s t a n d i n g t o c h a l l e n g e its c o n s t i t u t i o n a l i t y o n t h a t b a s i s . S t a t e v. Kirkland ( 1 9 7 9 ) , Mont. 602 P.2d 586, 590, 36 St.Rep. 1963, 1966; S t a t e v. McFarlan (1927), 78 Mont. 156, 252 P. 805. Af f irmed. Chief J u s t i c e M r . J u s t i c e John C. Sheehy d i s s e n t i n g : I d i s s e n t . I would f i n d t h e Card G a m e s A c t i n v i d i o u s l y d i s c r i m i n a t o r y and s t r i k e it 9ew.q.