Casinos have their first day in court on smoking ban
Midnight Rose pleads not guilty
The Gazette
Published July 18, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.
Updated July 18, 2008 at 12:33 a.m.
The manager of one of three Cripple Creek casinos cited for violating the state smoking ban has pleaded not guilty.
The Midnight Rose, represented by manager Donald Rosen, entered the plea Thursday in Teller County Court. A trial is set for Sept. 11.
Pretrial conferences were set for late July in the cases involving the Double Eagle and Bronco Billy's casinos. The three casinos were ticketed for allowing customers to smoke despite the state ban on indoor smoking.
The casinos claim that they are cigar bars, which are exempted from the ban.
Legislators passed an indoor smoking ban in 2006 that originally exempted casinos, along with cigar bars and smoking lounges at Denver International Airport.
The ban was extended to casinos as of Jan. 1.
To qualify for an exemption as a cigar bar, a business must show that at least 5 percent or $50,000 of its revenue came from the sale of tobacco products and from renting on-site humidors to customers during the year ended Dec. 31, 2005.
In June, Cripple Creek authorities said they wouldn't ticket the casinos that allow smoking because they didn't have the time or staff to patrol the businesses.
The police chief issued the citations after complaints from other casinos that don't allow smoking.
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July 18, 2008
7:10 a.m.
Suggest removal
gary writes:
There are no illegal smokers in casinos...noone is illegal..remember!
The smokers are not bad, they only smoke for satisfaction, that is why they smoke, do you want to deny them thier satisfaction. They are not bad people.
The smoking laws need to be reformed and changed, they are all god's children!!
Ask LaRaza
Nuff Said!!