[blml] Law 24

[Sven Pran]

> On Behalf Of WILLIAM SCHODER
> For Sven:
> 
> My point was not that he so much desired a spade lead at that time, 
> but that he didn't care about a spade lead.  For instance change 
> the exposed card to the person to make the opening lead -- a
> penalty imposed under Law 50 now would take place on the first
> trick. Perhaps the late hour I wrote last night did not get my 
> houghts clearly across, but what I am saying is that is that there
> are times when both defenders know about the location of a card of
> any rank exposed during the auction and the declarer feels it is
> immaterial.  Remember, please, that according to this law it is
> only after the player has become the declarer, the auction is over, 
> and any penalty such as 24 demands has already been exacted.
> The option of an additional penalty later on, during play, is the 
> one that the declarer has the right to negate. I find no place where
> the law says that the penalty of causing partner to pass for one
> round is an option of the declarer. That has already happened if
> it was an honor card. The three possibilities of A, B, and C, of 
> aw 24 have already taken place. Please carefully read the word
> "subsequently" -- without it the Law would make no sense since we 
> don't yet know who the declarer is going to be when the card is
> exposed.

Frankly I have a big problem understanding both the purpose for and the
logic in your argumentation?

Law 24 is very clear and IMHO causes little if any problem at all. The
immediate consequences of a card exposed during the auction is that the card
must remain exposed for the duration of that same auction, and depending on
the circumstances that the offender's partner must pass when next it is his
turn to call. 

There is one exception to this (automatic) procedure: A non-offender may
request that the penalties be waived for cause at the Director's discretion
(Law 81C8).

Subsequently, unless penalties were waived according to Law 81C8, if the
offender becomes a defender then declarer may at his own discretion decide
that the card shall remain exposed as a major or minor penalty card as the
case may be. Remember that nobody can have penalty card(s) during the
auction period and only defenders can have penalty card(s) during the play
period.

None of the possible events described above prevent the application of Law
16A (Extraneous information from partner) or Law 16C (Information from
withdrawn Calls and Plays), either or both of which will come into full
effect at the moment an exposed card is restored to the offender's hand
regardless of for what reason.

Sven