The war on porn
Local pressure continues to threaten Sunshyne Video 2 here in Blount County:
A temporary injunction prohibiting Sunshyne Video 2 from selling any adult items until its owners obtain a license was granted in Blount County Circuit Court.
The store had stopped selling adult merchandise March 3 after owners David and Kristie Anderson received a restraining order. The store has continued to sell general merchandise, however.
Friday’s hearing was to determine whether the restraining order, sought by the Adult-Oriented Establishment Board, should be changed to a temporary injunction until the store obtains a permit.
And the Good Ol’ Boy networks strikes again:
David Anderson said he represented himself Friday because he could not get any Blount County lawyers to take the case because it involved Blount County government. Anderson said he did not object to the restraining order, but was confused by part of it.
Maybe he should call the ACLU? IIRC, my understanding is that Blount County recently set up this sham of a board (I say sham because it’s only purpose apparently is to harass Sunshyne Video) to approve licenses for adult oriented businesses. The law seems fairly clear to us laypersons but the legal establishment seems content to make people jump through arbitrary hoops while not answering questions:
Anderson asked Young why he could not sell any adult items when the law defines an adult store as one that offers sexually oriented material “as its principal or predominate stock or trade.” Anderson said after the hearing that he has 8,500 general items in stock and less than 2,800 adult items.
The judge didn’t answer and the guy can’t get legal help. They established this board and the owner of Sunshyne did not file for a permit. Rather, he added to his general merchandise so that the majority of his business would not be adult oriented. That doesn’t matter apparently as the GOB’s seem intent on making Mr. Anderson’s life hard. At this point, it looks like a vulgar display of power to get the guy to buy a permit and that’s the real obscenity here.
March 15th, 2005 at 3:08 pm
Blount County has an Adult-Oriented Establishment Board? I wonder what businesses they regulate. That’s the only adult video store I can think of around here, and there aren’t any strip clubs.