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Derek Maple was a dealer at a local Charleston area casino when he was accused of cheating at blackjack. Maple decided to sue several agencies for false arrest. The Mardi Gras Racing and Casino, West Virginia State Police and the West Virginia Lottery Commission have been named in a twelve count civil rights suit. Maple states in his complaint that he worked at the Mardi Gras casino as a blackjack dealer and he was arrested last year for cheating at blackjack but he was never prosecuted. The suit says that the dealer was approached by a commission investigator and troopers while he was dealing back in august of 2009. The three men accused him of showing his hole card which would be the one that remains face down.
Maple was then held at the casino and Maple stated he was wrongfully incarcerated for a period of time while he was awaiting preliminary hearing which would go before the Kanawha County Magistrate Court. Maple has records that show he was arrested and booked on felony gaming violation charges.
Maple has yet to be indicted and in the state criminal charges that are not prosecuted within one year is dismissed. Maple has now accused the above organizations of violating his civil rights since he was not allowed to counter the allegations that were brought against him.
Because of the instance Maple has stated he has lost his job as well as his reputation as a card dealer. He has suffered mental and emotional pain as well as embarrassment, lost his self-esteem and suffered humiliation. The amount that Maple is seeking has not been released.
2010-09-17
