Sep 17, 2009 by Daniel
Taking out the Trash
Last month a U.S. District Court judge issued a permanent injunction against a South Carolina law prohibiting sexually-oriented advertising within one mile of public highways. Similar advertising bans have failed in Kansas and Missouri. These cases hinge on the idea that the government cannot prohibit lawful advertising for a lawfully run business.
The real question is whether or not sexually-oriented businesses operate legally. The presumption under the law is that they do. It takes a specific citizen complaint or police investigation to start the process to determine otherwise and even then, no one or no business is guilty until so found by a jury in a court trial.
However, many who have investigated, worked in, or frequented such business know they sometimes violate local laws ranging from obscenity violations to drug crimes, prostitution offenses and building and health code violations. If General McMaster wants to curtail the influence of sexually-oriented businesses, he should worry less about their signs and investigate the businesses themselves. He might be surprised at what he finds.
Learn more about what some have discovered at strip clubs and porn shops.
