The Florida Senate

548.054  Withholding of purses; hearing; disposition of withheld purse forfeiture.--

(1)  A member of the commission, the commission representative, or the referee may order a promoter to surrender to the commission any purse or other funds payable to a participant, or to withhold the share of any manager, if it appears that:

(a)  The participant is not competing honestly, or is intentionally not competing to the best of her or his ability and skill, in a match represented to be a contest; or

(b)  The participant, her or his manager, or any of the participant's seconds has violated this chapter.

(2)  Any purse so withheld shall be delivered by the promoter to the commission upon demand. Within 10 days after the match, the person from whom the sum was withheld may apply in writing to the commission for a hearing. Upon receipt of the application, the commission shall fix a date for a hearing. Within 10 days after the hearing or after 10 days following the match, if no application for a hearing is filed, the commission shall meet and determine the disposition to be made of the withheld purse. If the commission finds the charges sufficient, it may declare all or any part of the funds forfeited. If the commission finds the charges not sufficient upon which to base a withholding order, it shall immediately distribute the withheld funds to the persons entitled thereto.

(3)  If a contestant's purse is forfeited, the commission may include any payments or advances as part of the forfeiture, and if the contestant does not forward such amount to the commission, such payments and advances may be recovered in the same manner as a debt due the state.

History.--ss. 2, 4, ch. 84-246; s. 13, ch. 88-365; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 772, ch. 97-103; s. 128, ch. 99-251.