footlogic, I'm assuming you did not get any legal advice from a real attorney. I am NOT an attorney, but I would have told you to file in small claims court. You don't need an attorney, the filing fee is probably still under $20 and I believe the current limit in Ohio is either $5K or $6K. A typical hearing is within 30 days of filing.
Anyone can contact their county bar association and get a referral to consult an attorney. They used to be $20 for 15 minutes but that was years ago. Yo pays a lot of money for insuarnce. Why would anyone not spend a few bucks for legal advice you can use for the term of your business?
I am not an attorney, but I know this:
When you accept money from someone to enter your poperty for a public event, it becomes a mutual contract. You immediately lose the right to expel them from your property without just cause. When you publically sell access to your property for an event, you cannot deny someone entry without just cause.
AMA rules only have legal standing to the point that you have contractually agreed to give them certain powers in advance, but some of those powers, such as seizure of property may not be legally enforceable even if you agreed to them. Contractual law varies from state to state and is governed by state code.
Imagine this scenario:
Mr. Abusive shows up at, say, Briarcliff. You've given his photo to your gate people. He hands his money out the window, and your gate person says "I'm sorry, but you are on the banned list. You can't come in." Mr. Abusive calmly states that you have no cause to deny him, and he is not getting out of the line of vehicles waiting to come in. You call the police, they arrive, and advise Mr Abusive to leave, and tell him its a civil matter. Mr Abusive goes home, adds up all the costs and time he has lost by going there, and sues you for $500 damages, and asks for another $4500 in punative damages for denying his civil rights for turning him away without just cause. He can do this in small claims court.
Congratulations. You now must prove by a preponderance of the evidence that you had just cause to turn him away. What is your defense?
"I read on the internet that he was being an ass at Smith Rd"?
"Last time he was here, he was belligerent, and I told him not to come back"?
"He has a reputation for being belligerent"?
"I was at Smith Rd and witrnessed his behavior"?
"Last time he was here, he was belligerent, but nobody said anything to him about it"?
"People on Facebook were talking about what an ass he is"?
"The AMA rulebook clearly states a referee can deny him entry"?
Will a judge buy all of these, some of these, or any of these?
Last time I say this, but a $50 or $100 consultation to get legal advice from an attorney instead of from Pitracer.com could be a good invetsment. I did it for my business and the info proved to be well worth the money, and your business the likelihood of these scenarios is a lot greatn than mine was.