276 A.D.2d 984

The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v. Sydney Seigel, Appellant.

Johnston, Acting P. J., Sneed and MacCrate, JJ., concur; Adel and Wenzel, JJ., dissent and vote to affirm, with the following memorandum: This is a slot machine within subdivision 2 of section 982 of the Penal Law in that a coin is inserted to operate it. It contains, in a glass globe, balls of bubble gum and, in a numerically smaller number of transparent plastic spheres, trinkets to catch the eyes of children. The element of chance is involved in that it cannot be foretold whether a ball of gum or a trinket will come from the machine on the deposit of a coin. To the avid eyes of a child, the trinket is a treasure, though to an adult it may be trash — but, however slight, the trinket is of some value. Whether the trinket is of greater or lesser intrinsic value than the gum, is of no importance. “Value” is defined in Funk & Wagnall’s dictionary as the “ desirability or worth of a thing.” Therefore, if the desirability of the trinket is greater than that of a ball of gum to a child, the machine is violative of section 982 of the Penal Law.

People v. Seigel
276 A.D.2d 984

Case Details

Name
People v. Seigel
Decision Date
Feb 27, 1950
Citations

276 A.D.2d 984

Jurisdiction
New York

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