Phil Hogen, Chairman of the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC), announced earlier this month that net revenues from Indian gaming grew more than 11% from fiscal year 2005 to fiscal year 2006, generating $25.1 billion in gaming revenues in 2006. "The continued growth is eye-opening considering the tribal gaming industry is still relatively young. The Indian gaming industry has doubled between 2001 and 2006, going from $12.8 billion to $25.1 billion respectively," Hogen said.  "In NIGC Region II, which includes California and Northern Nevada, the revenues have jumped from $1.7 billion in 2001 to $7.6 billion in 2006, which is an increase of four and a half times over a 5 year period" Hogen continued.

Now that the new courthouse is operational questions have arisen regarding those people that may have a probationary condition that prohibits them from being within 2000 feet of a school. Can they attend their court hearings at the courthouse just feet away from a State Preschool and the campus of Argonaut High School? According to District Attorney Todd Riebe; provided that a person's probation had a term prohibiting a sex offender/arsonist from being within 2,000 feet of a school, park, day care, church or any place where children congregate, it is possible that being at the courthouse violates that term. Riebe also reminds us that the old courthouse was also probably within 2,000 feet of Jackson Elementary, and was right across the street from a former day care and two churches.  Riebe does point out that several counties in a similar situation in the Third Appellate District have already been sued pursuant to the 2,000 foot requirement.  Amador County was dropped from the lawsuit because the law that applied the zone, Jessica's Law, did not create new criminal violations for county law enforcement agencies to enforce.  Rather, it applied to parolees, which are the responsibility of the State.