Continuing SPOILER ALERT — perhaps this entire post is one big spoiler alert? We honestly don’t remember where Booth and his wife, Dr. Temperance Brennan, aka “Bones,” live. The District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia? We thought it would be interesting to see just how bad the outcome could be for Booth within each jurisdiction or, for that matter, between or among the jurisdictions. Remember, if Booth is in Virginia, and his bookie is in Maryland, interstate sport gambling laws would apply.
District of Columbia: Booth and his bookie are in trouble. If arrested, each could face up to 180 days in jail and as much as a $1,000 fine. The law is fairly specific about the kind of athletic events banned: not just horse races, for example, but “trotting or running races of horses.” Operating a gambling establishment on water is also prohibited, and provision that conjured images of riverboats and men with large handle-bar mustaches.
Virginia: The Commonwealth takes a slightly different route by declaring that gambling activities are simply void. Even more interesting is the repayment law: If Booth lost as little as $5 in a 24-hour period made in Virginia, he would have three months to petition the winner for repayment. The winner would have to pay court costs, but that repayment allows the winner to avoid penalties, including criminal penalties.
We’ll finish this up in our next post.
Source: Findlaw, “State Gambling Laws,” accessed April 24, 2015
