Miscellaneous

Well, Sex Can Be a Religious Experience

A man charged with running a massage parlor/brothel disguised as a church, has come up with a fairly clever defense: Freedom of Religion.

In his latest court argument, the Tucson man says he hired women at Angel's Heaven Relaxation Spa -- near University Medical Center -- not to sell sex but to comfort the afflicted through the religious act of "laying on of hands."

This offer of comfort by this means is based on several Biblical passages," wrote attorney Brad Roach, who is representing LaVoie while seeking election as Pima County attorney.

[John] LaVoie, who testified he is the pastor of the Church of Liberty, "has every right under the First Amendment to freely exercise his religion, which religion includes offering comfort through the laying on of hands," Roach wrote in an objection to the proposed order of forfeiture.

Alex Mahon, an Arizona assistant attorney general, responded that LaVoie never argued at trial that laying on of hands was part of church ceremonies. In fact, the evidence showed his "angels" were lay people committing acts of prostitution with the spa's male customers, Mahon wrote.

You have to wonder -- does an attorney who uses this defense charge less because it's such a shitty argument, or charge more because he has to work harder to prove it?

I'm assuming there's no happy ending here :(

Full post as published by Quiz Law on September 29, 2008 (boomark / email).