HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinances - No. 522In the City Council {$FflT:Tq City of Lodi
Lodi, California
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ORDINANCE NO. 522
AN ORDINANCE REGULATING AND LICENSING CARD
ROOMS IN THE CITY OF LODI; PROVIDING FOR
THE REGISTRATION OF THE OWNERS AND EMPLOYEE3
OF SUCH ESTABLISHMENTS; FIXING A PENALTY FOR VIOLATIONS.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CXm OF LODI
AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. LICENSE REQUIRD. It shall be unlawful for
any person, for himself, or for any other person, firm or
corporation, to engage in or carry on, or to maintain or con-
duct, or cause to be engaged in, carried on, maintained or
conducted, any card room in the City of Lodi without first
having secured a license from said City so to do, according
to each and every requirement of this ordinance, or without
complying with each and every regulation contained herein
pertaining to such card room.
Section 2. CARD ROOM - DEFINED. For the purpose of
this ordinance a "Card Room" is hereby defined to be any space,
room or enclosure, furnished or equipped with a table used or
intended to be used as a card table for the playing of cards
and similar games, and the use of which is available to the
public, or any portion of the public; provided, however, that
this section shall not apply to any bona fide non-profit society,
club, fraternal, labor or other ogranization, as defined in
Section 8 hereof.
Section 3. APPLICATION FOR LICEI#SEI An applicant for a
card room license shall submit his application to the Chief of
Police of the City of Lodi, which application shall be under
oath, and shall include, among other things, the true names
and addresses of all persons financially interested in the
business. The term "persons financially interested" shll
include all persons who share in the profits of the business,
on the basis of gross or net revenue.
if any, of the applicant and of all persons financially in-
terested in the budiness shall be shown on such application-.
The application shall also be accompanied by finger prints of
the applicant and of persons financially interested in the
The pas$ criminal record,
business.
United States who have resided in the County of San Joaquin
for at least two (2) years imediately preceding the issuance
of such license.
A license may be issued only to citizens of the
The Chief of Police shall deny any applicant for a card
room license, a license to operate such card room if
(a) Said applicant has previously been convicted
of a felony or
(b) Said applicant has previously been convicted
of any narcotic& violation or
(c) Said applicant is not in the opinion of the
Chkf of Police a person of good moral character,
The action of the Chief of Police in denying such a license
on the basis of the applicant not being a person of good moral
ub ec to an appeal to a Board of Appeals ZO'L f
sf--th~ee Cowdh0n appoirrted--by -the- Mayor;,
appeal shall be filed with the City CleFk within ten (10) days
Notice of such
after the denial of said license.
notice within the ten (10) day period the action of the Chief
of Police in denying such license shall be final and conc7usive.
Section 4. EMPLOYEE WORK PERMITS. Card room employees
Upon failure to file such
must obtain a work pemit from the Chief of Police.
employees for the purpose of this ordinance are defined as
Card room
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dealers, overseers, and others directly connected with the
operation and supervision of the card tables and excluding
waitresses, bartenders, culinary workers and others not con-
nected with such operation and supervision.
such work permits shall be submitted under oath and contain
the past criminal record, if any, of the applicant and such
information as may be deemed by the Chief of Police necessary
to determine whether the applicant is a proper person to be
issued a card room work permit. The application shall also
be aceompanied by finger prints of the applicant. A work
permit shall be issued only to citizens of the United States
who have resided in the County of San Joaquin for at least
one year immediately preceding the issuance of such work
permit-
work permit if
Applications for
The Chief of Police shall deny to such applicant a
(a)
of a felony or
(b)
Said applicant has previously been convicted
Said applicant has previously been convicted
of any narcotics violation or
(c) Said applicant is not in the opinion of the
Chief of Police a person of good moral charac$er.
Each application for a work permit shall be accompanied
by a fee of $10 and shall be valid for a period of one (1)
year. The $10 fee shall not be returned in the event that
said work permit is refused, revoked or suspended as herein-
after provided. My one such work permit shall be required
each year, even though the holder of said work permit may
change his place of employment within the City of Lodi.
The action of the Chief of Police in denying such a work
permit on the basis of the applicant not being a person of good
moral character shall be subject to an appeal to a Board
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of such appeal shall be filed with the City Clerk within ten
(10) days after the denial of said work permit.
to file such notice within the ten (10) day period, the action
of the Chief of Police in denying such work pernit shall be
final and conclusive.
Upon failure
Section 5. SUSPENSION AND REVOCATION. The Chief of Police
shall have the right for cause to revoke or suspend any card
room license or card room work permit issued hereunder and to
take possession of such permits. Any of the grounds upon which
the Chief of Police shall be required to refuse to issue an
initial card room license or card room work pewit shall also
conqtitmQe grounds for such revocation or suspension. In
addition the failure of a holder of a card room license or
card room work perhit to comply with the provisions of this
ordinance shall also dong$itute grounds for revocation or
suspension of such license or work permit. The action of the
Chief of Police in this respect shall be subject to an appeal to
a Board of Appeals sf+t&eeAa~i3m~~~e&n%e~~.
Notice of such appeal shall be filed with the City Clerk within
ten (10) days after the revocation or suspension. Upon failure
to file such notice within the ten (10) day period, the action
of the Chief of Police in revoking or suspending the license
or work permit shall be final and conclusive.
Section 6. WON-TRANSFERABLE. No person shall be granted
a license to conduct more than one card room. No card room
lSceriSe shall be assignable or transferable.
Section 7. CARD ROOM RE1GULATIONS. It shall be unlawful
to operate a card room in violation of any of the following
regulations and rules:
(a) Not more than one card room shall be located
at any one address.
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(b) No game except low-ball, silriaw poker, without
variations as defined by Hoyle, pinochle, pangini, rummy,
and contract or auction bridge shall be played in any
card room.,
(c) Not more than six (6) tables-shall be permitted
in any card room.
(d) Not more than seven (7) players shall be per-
mitted at any one card table.
(e) Card rooms shall be located on the geound floor,
and so arranged that Card tables and the players at the
tables shall be plainly visible from the front door
opening when said door is opened. No wall, partition,
screen, or similar structure between the front door
opening on the street and any'card table located in the
card room shall be permitted if it interferes with said
visibility,
(f) No minor shall be permitted at any card table,
or participate in any game played thereat.
(g) All card rooms shall be closed at 2 a.m. and
shall remain closed until 10 a.m. Card rooms may be
operated seven days a week.
(h) All card rooms shall be open to police inspection
during all hours of operation.
(1)
(3)
Only table stakes shall be permitted.
The cashing of bank checks for players shall
not be permitted in any card room.
(k) Each card table shall have assigned to it a
person whose duty shall be to supervise the game and
to see to it that it is played strictly in accordance
with the terms of this ordinance, and with the provisions
of the Penal Code of the State of California. This
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person may have more than one table under his supervision,
He shall not, however, payticipate in the game.
(1) No signs or other insignia advertising or
relative to card rooms shall be permitted upon the ex-
terior of any premises occupied as a card room.
(m) There shall be posted in every card room in
letters plainly visible from all parts thereof, signs
stating that no game except low-ball,,draw poker without
variations as defined by HoyLe, pinochle, pangini, ruratng
and contract or auction bridge shall be played in the
card room. These signs shall also contain such other
information relating to the regulations contained herein
as the Chief of Police may require;.
(n) No Rerson who is in a state of intoxication
shall be permitted in any card room.
Section 8. CLUBS - EXCLUDED. A noa-profit society, club,
fraternal, labor or other organization having adopted by-laws
and duly elected directors and members may be granted a permit
without fee by the Chief of Police, when it appears that the
tables are for the exclusive use of members of the society,
club, fraternal, labor, or other organization, and no charge
is made for any of the facilities.
Section 9. STATE LAW VIOLATIONS. The City Council of the
City of Lodi hereby declares that it is not the intention of
this ordinance to permit the licensing of any card room for
the playing of any game prohibited by the laws of the State,
including but not limited to those games enumerated in Section
330 of the Penal Code of the State of California, which Section
includes Banking and Percentage games.
Section 10. FINE OR IMPRISONMENT. Any person, society,
club or organization violating any of the terms, requirements,
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regulations or provisions of this ordinance shall be deemed
guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof, shall be
punished by a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars ($500.00),
or by imprisonment in the County Jail for not more than six
(6) months, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
Section 11. Ordinances No. 26 and No. 164 of the City
of Lodi are hereby repealed.
Section 12. fhis ordinance shall take effect and be in
full force from and after thirty days from its final passage.
Approved this day of March 9 19%.
Attest : &QrFa 1
r
''Mayor #the Citi of Lodi
Attest :
** ** ** ** ** **
I, HENRY A. GLAVES, JR., City Clerk of the City of Lodi and ex officio Clerk of the City Council of said City, do hereby certify that the foregoine Ordinance No. 522 was introduced in regular meeting bf-said Council held February 16, 1955, and was thereafter passed, adopted and ordered to print at a regular meeting,of the City Council
held March 2, 1955, by the following vote:
AYES : Councilmen - Hughes, Mitchell, Richey, Robinson and Fuller
NOES: Councilmen - None
ABSENT: Councilmen - None
I'FTJRTHER CERTIFY that Ordinance No. 522 was amroved and signed by the Mayor on the
been published pursuant to law.
City Clerk
Dated: March 4, 1955
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