Federal Judge Strips Away Strip Club Limitations
SUITLAND, MD — There was probably no sexy music playing when U.S. District Judge Marvin Garbis removed what some like to imagine are layers of protection against the insidious evil they believe is adult entertainment, but they came off nonetheless. Hitting the metaphorical courtroom floor were restrictions intended to keep both male and female performers from a variety of behaviors while on the job, including touching patrons. Drawn up in 2005 by the government of Prince George County, the goal of the ultimately un-enforced law was to limit the conduct of dancers.
However well-intended, Judge Garbis ruled that the limitations were overbroad and therefore illegal, a ruling that delighted attorney Jimmy Bell and an assortment of Prince George County strip club dancers.
Garbis concluded that the law, as written cast so wide a net that even football players who patted one another on the fanny after a particularly good play could technically run afoul of its verbiage.
ABC 7 quoted a man who danced under the name “Assassin” as cheering the ruling by opining that “This is what I do. I love entertaining ladies. Ladies should have somewhere to go to express themselves, let their hair down and have fun.’”
A representative for County Executive Jack Johnson has indicated that the law office will look over the law and the ruling but has not decided upon a next step.