New trial for lawyer convicted in gambling ring
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — An attorney convicted of leading a $300 million gambling ring that used a veterans charity as a front and led to the resignation of Florida's lieutenant governor is getting a new trial.
The Florida Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal Wednesday in the case involving Jacksonville attorney Kelly Mathis, meaning an October ruling from Florida's Fifth District Court of Appeal will stand. The earlier ruling says the trial judge should have allowed Mathis' legal team to call certain witnesses to bolster its defense.
Mathis was convicted in October 2013 of 103 counts of racketeering, possessing slot machines and other charges and sentenced to six years in prison. He was accused of operating dozens of illegal internet cafes.
The case led to the resignation of Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll and caused the Florida Legislature to ban internet cafes earlier in 2013.
