THE ANATOMY OF A TOPLESS BAR LAWSUIT

Business owner: Erotic dancing ‘viable’ in Destin
November 29, 2008 - 10:13 AM
William Hatfield

A businessman who wants to become the first topless bar owner in Destin says it is “absolutely a business just like anything else.”

“Well, maybe not like anything else,” said Terry Stephenson, who is operating the Oasis on Mountain Drive. “But if the biggest issue you have to deal with is that an adult, 21 and over, wants to go to a club, watch girls dance, and have a drink … Surely there are other big issues to deal with than what an adult does in his spare time.”

Stephenson and his attorneys recently filed a First Amendment lawsuit in federal court alleging that the city of Destin is infringing on the bar’s right “to offer nude-dance entertainment.”

“Ultimately, I feel like the erotic dancing format is a commercially viable situation in Destin. So that’s pretty much what I’m gonna pursue,” he said.

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To read the entire lawsuit, click here.

Disney Site Recommends 'New York's Last Grindhouse' For Kids

November 23, 2008
NYPOST.COM

The Fair Theatre in East Elmhurst, Queens is "good-for-kids'' as young as infants, insists a page on Disneyfamilytravel.com, which includes it on a long list of NYC tourist attractions like Rockefeller Center and Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The wacky things you come up with on a Google search! I guess they didn't read my 2007 article on the 67-year-old Fair, which I dubbed "New York's last grindhouse.'' I reported that the theatre's main business was showing gay male porn, complete with private booths, though it offers other types of movies -- currently, Bollywood fare -- to comply with New York City's 60/40 adult business law. Or maybe a bored, gay employee at Disney Family Travel put it on the list as a joke...SEE THE ARTICLE

Johns Creek v. Love Shack: Appeals Expected

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ATLANTA, GA (2008-03-11) The battle between the city of Johns Creek and the Love Shack continues. Yesterday a judge reaffirmed his prior ruling that the store is operating illegally, and should be fined $3000 dollars a day if it stays open.

In the prior ruling, the store was told to change its merchandise so as not to qualify as an adult-business, move to a zone where adult businesses are allowed, or to close. Mayor Michael Bodker says as recently as March 9th, the store was open, and code inspectors found it was still sexually-oriented:

BODKER: We're not trying to ban the business, we are simply asking that the business either operate truly as a non-adult business or move to a location where it can operate as one.

But Cary Wiggins, lawyer for Love Shack's owner, says the store has made changes to avoid the adult-business designation.

WIGGINS: Long story short, the store is reducing its merchandise that could be characterized as sexually-explicit.

Wiggins plans to appeal the court's ruling.

Cornetta Found in Contempt in Love Shack Controversy

Cornetta Found in Contempt in Love Shack Controversy

Love Shack owner John Cornetta has been found in contempt of court for continuing to operate the business in Johns Creek, Ga.