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When Is A Strip Club Not A Strip Club?

By John Mesirow

In Hamburg, Iowa, the owner of Shotgun Geniez was charged with violating obscenity laws after a 17-year-old danced nude there. The defense? It's not a strip club. It's a theater, and is therefore exempt from Iowa's obscenity laws. The result? As reported in The Omaha World-Herald:

"The evidence proved beyond a reasonable doubt Shotgun Geniez is primarily a strip club that features nude dancing. The transparent efforts to appear to be a museum or art center are not convincing. Calling a business a theater does not make it so."

"Shotgun Geniez, nevertheless, meets the ordinary definition of theater."

The judge noted that the club has a raised stage with special lighting, chairs and tables arranged for people to watch the stage, and a dressing area for performers.

You can read more (a fair amount) here.

Full post as published by Legal Juice on August 14, 2008 (boomark / email).