A state Superior Court panel has thrown out what a judge called an "utterly frivolous" lawsuit by a prison inmate who claimed the USA Today newspaper ruined his illegal jailhouse gambling operation.
Alton Brown, a 60-year-old former Delaware County man with a record of assault, robbery and theft convictions, chose Larry Kramer, the newspaper's former publisher and president, as the target of his ire.
Specifically, Brown blamed Kramer for USA Today's decision to stop publishing Las Vegas betting odds and other such gambling data on sporting events.
As Senior Judge William H. Platt noted in the state court opinion that denied the appeal this week, Brown claimed "he needs this information to run his book-making operation in prison."
By the way, gambling by prisoners is forbidden by the state Department of Corrections.
Brown sued Kramer for breach of contract in 2013, based on the fact that the gambling odds printing ended soon after he subscribed to the paper. He appealed to the state court after a Huntingdon County judge also dismissed the suit, which Brown filed while being held in the state prison at Smithfield.
In tossing the suit, Platt noted Brown has an 18-year history of filing such baseless complaints from behind bars.
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Alton Brown, a 60-year-old former Delaware County man with a record of assault, robbery and theft convictions, chose Larry Kramer, the newspaper's former publisher and president, as the target of his ire.
Specifically, Brown blamed Kramer for USA Today's decision to stop publishing Las Vegas betting odds and other such gambling data on sporting events.
As Senior Judge William H. Platt noted in the state court opinion that denied the appeal this week, Brown claimed "he needs this information to run his book-making operation in prison."
By the way, gambling by prisoners is forbidden by the state Department of Corrections.
Brown sued Kramer for breach of contract in 2013, based on the fact that the gambling odds printing ended soon after he subscribed to the paper. He appealed to the state court after a Huntingdon County judge also dismissed the suit, which Brown filed while being held in the state prison at Smithfield.
In tossing the suit, Platt noted Brown has an 18-year history of filing such baseless complaints from behind bars.
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