Apparently, lap dances are protected speech, at least in Oregon:
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — A Marion County judge has ruled that lap dances in Salem are protected by the free speech provisions of the Oregon Constitution.
Judge Albin Norblad’s ruling struck down a city ban on “prohibited touching” – sexually exciting physical contact for pay.
The case involves Laurel Guillen, 24, a dancer at a Salem club called Cheetah’s, who gave a lap dance to an undercover officer in April 2005.
(…)
Norblad, who found Guillen not guilty, cited an Oregon Supreme Court case that found it legal under Oregon’s liberal free speech protections for a stripper to rub her breasts against a man’s chest and perform a live sex show with another woman.
Guillen’s attorney, Kevin Lafky, said the city’s ordinance was written too broadly and could be used to ban normal conduct such as theater performance, movie making and photography.
Lafky said the rule also applies to a second dancer Salem police cited for prohibited touching during the same sting, Stephenie Lawrow, 22.
Personally, I don’t think that the government has any business banning stuff like this if consenting adults want to engage in it. I’m just not sure it falls under the definition of “free speech”
July 3rd, 2007 at 10:43 am
there may be an oregon statute that the judge went by, but there is also federal supreme court statutes that allow it as well. this i know from a masscoom law class, i forget the citation to it though, but you use lexis nexis and find it……. goodluck
July 3rd, 2007 at 10:03 pm
AHHH, OHHHH isn’t free speech