“The Federal Communications Commission fined Rocky Mountain Radar for producing two types of police radar jammers. The Commission alleged that the jammers harmfully interfered with authorized radio communications – a violation of FCC regulations,” begins this opinion from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued today. As framed, the issue “is whether C450 and S201 are ‘intentional radiators’ [...]
Ding Ding Ding: We have a loser
February 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Let’s say that one day, you’re banned from a casino (for hitting a slot machine and breaking its “belly glass”). Years later, somehow, you’ve worked yourself back into that casino (hitting the slots and winning thousands). How, exactly, should you cash in those chips? The issue: Whether a casino (here, Prairie Meadows) had the authority to [...]
Strip club’s stewardship disappoints family watchgroup
February 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment
When Cowboy’s applied for a liquor license, “[o]pponents, including WyWatch Family Action members, crowded commission meetings for the initial approval in September 2008 and for the renewal in February 2009, saying the establishment[] would cause an increase in sex crimes, exploitation of women, prostitution, and the promotion of obscenity,” reports Tom Martin here for the [...]
Happy Valentine’s Day
February 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Don’t mess with Pole Taxes
February 13, 2010 By 1 Comment
“The Texas Supreme Court will decide whether the state’s $5 charge on strip club patrons violates the First Amendment right of free expression,” begins this article by Chuck Lindell for Austin Legal. Last June, Texas’s Third Court of Appeals in Austin issued a 2-1 ruling affirming a 2008 decision by state trial court to strike down the [...]
Venue
February 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Location schmocation. A couple of items in the news. First, a provocative piece from the talented David Hudson of the First Amendment Center, entitled “Obscenity online: Do we need a national standard?” Second, the Iowa Court of Appeals delivered this decision yesterday. Iowa charged Clarence Judy, owner of a strip club in Hamburg, Iowa, with three counts of [...]
Junkyard John
February 8, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Meet John Reget. He claims that the City of La Crosse ”selectively enforced its junk-dealer ordinance against him, targeted him for rezoning in a discriminatory fashion, and selectively enforced its noise regulations.” Mr. Reget and the City, according to today’s opinion from the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, “have had a long, acrimonious relationship stemming from Reget’s operation of a [...]
Call or Push: Internet gambling legislation
February 7, 2010 By Leave a Comment
“Poker lobbyists are ramping up an aggressive push backed by millions of dollars to legalize Internet gambling in the United States this year, hoping to overcome passionate objections from social conservatives, sports leagues and other longtime opponents,” begins this article by Dan Eggen for The Washington Post. In the article, Eggen describes the supporters of legalized gambling as [...]
Max Hardcore might not do Max-hard-time
February 2, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Today the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed an obscenity conviction but … The trial of Paul F. Little a.k.a. Max Hardcore included allegations of (1) improper comments by the government during closing argument; (2) improper jury instructions; (3) improper handling of juror irregularities; (4) failure of the judge to recuse herself; and (5) errors in [...]
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