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About Snow Party
“If the tax burden alone makes it impossible to establish the occupation of slot machine operators as the economic basis of one’s livelihood within the municipality,” the ruling said.
Braun also argued that the public had been excluded from the preparatory finance committee meeting without justification.
But the court said that point did not affect the validity of the by-law, adding that it saw no evidence of a tax that would choke businesses.
About Snow Party
Scotts Valley filed suit in response. In October 2025, Judge McFadden ruled that Interior had violated the tribe’s due process rights by rescinding the approval without giving prior notice or an opportunity to respond.
However, McFadden’s ruling left the door open for Interior to formally reconsider the underlying gaming eligibility question.
Scotts Valley has maintained that federal officials reversed course under intense political pressure from the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, a neighboring tribe that opposes the Vallejo casino development.
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Prosecutors alleged that Pietras was stealing the funeral money to fund his gambling addiction. Law enforcement found that Pietras made more than 800 casino trips over a 14-year period.
Casino records for his player’s card suggested he lost over $1.2 million at Mohegan Sun. He’s also reported to have gambled extensively at Foxwoods Resort Casino and MGM Springfield in Massachusetts.
Pietras was charged with dozens of unfair trade practices, larceny, and embezzlement counts. Prosecutors also accused him of violating health and zoning laws by living at his funeral home in Coventry.
