OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) - The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a ban on cockfighting despite the efforts of enthusiasts of the blood sport, who had tried to block the measure for over a year.
Opponents of the ban had worked on a regional basis to prevent the law from being enforced in various localities, saying the ban was arbitrary, allowed for the unfair seizure of property and imposed penalties that were too harsh.
The court rejected these claims in a unanimous decision, saying the law was constitutional.
Attorney General Drew Edmondson had argued for the ban on behalf of the state and said "this ruling is a victory for the voters of Oklahoma."
The ban, passed in November 2002 by a statewide vote of 54 percent to 46 percent, carries penalties of one to 10 years in prison for those convicted of engaging in the cockfighting business, as well as fines of up to $25,000.
Judges in about 25 counties, mostly in southeast Oklahoma, had suspended enforcement of the ban.
Cockfighting is illegal in all other states except Louisiana and New Mexico.
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Opponents of the ban had worked on a regional basis to prevent the law from being enforced in various localities, saying the ban was arbitrary, allowed for the unfair seizure of property and imposed penalties that were too harsh.
The court rejected these claims in a unanimous decision, saying the law was constitutional.
Attorney General Drew Edmondson had argued for the ban on behalf of the state and said "this ruling is a victory for the voters of Oklahoma."
The ban, passed in November 2002 by a statewide vote of 54 percent to 46 percent, carries penalties of one to 10 years in prison for those convicted of engaging in the cockfighting business, as well as fines of up to $25,000.
Judges in about 25 counties, mostly in southeast Oklahoma, had suspended enforcement of the ban.
Cockfighting is illegal in all other states except Louisiana and New Mexico.
wil.
