Police Raid Lingerie Shop

[RadioFreeSeaLab]

http://tinyurl.com/2q7r8s
Police Raid Lingerie Shop

LUBBOCK, TX -- An obscure law sends one local lingerie store clerk to jail. And now she may forever have to register as a sex offender.
The lingerie store, Somethin Sexy was raided by police last week for violating Lubbock`s sexually oriented business ordinance.

"I feel like I`m in 1690 Salem, Massachusetts and we`re looking for a witch to burn" says the stores owner.

The witch: the owner of Somethin Sexy. He`s speaking out about the raid of his shop and the arrest of his employee. Now, if convicted, the clerk will have to register as a sex offender.

"I think it`s ridiculous. She`s not a sex offender, she was selling something that I had instructed them it was ok to sell, I think it`s ridiculous" he says.

Earlier this month, four officers raided the shop, confiscating several toys deemed to be illegal by the Texas penal code. The code states "a person who possesses six or more obscene devices is presumed to possess them with intent to promote the same." In other words, intent to sell.

But if this is a state law, how do other Texas cities match up?

"We went to several places in Dallas where the merchandise that was deemed obscene here they have in open view on the shelves. Lubbock seems to be taking the most hard line approach that we`ve seen anywhere in Texas" says the owner.

He says not only did he keep the devices out of view, but he says there`s a huge demand for these products.

"We kept it in a closed cabinet, we did not promote it. If someone asked, then we showed them the merchandise. Our guest book, we`ve had over 1500 people sign up to receive emails and mail outs" he says.

The store is still open and the owner says hes playing by the rules.

"We`ll sell everything that`s legal" he says.

The Lubbock Assistant District Attorney couldn`t speak specifically about this case, but did speak to us in general about obscenity laws and what the definition of obscene is in Lubbock.

"If they tell them this is a candle put in on the birthday cake this is a novelty if they tell you to use it to enjoy sexual gratification, its no longer a candle on the birthday cake" says Assistant D.A. John Grace.

Whats illegal and whats not when it comes to sexual devices comes down to marketing and intentions.

"If the seller is selling it as a novelty and the buyer is buying it as a novelty to make fun of, then it probably has not reached the level of an obscenity" says Grace.

According to state law, its illegal to sell obscene devices with the intention of sexual gratification. But what is an obscene device and who`s going to be the judge of that?

"Whats considered obscene in LA is different than Lubbock and different than Des Moines. The community ultimately decides what is obscene" says Grace.

He says obscenity laws have been on the books as long as they`ve had books as a way of protecting the community from what he calls the secondary effects of obscenity which are child pornography, money laundering and prostitution.

He says its not the D.A.s job to decide whether a law is fair or not but it is their job to enforce it. And if the citizens have a problem with that, its their job to take it to the Texas legislature.

"As a voter and a taxpayer, if you think the law is not fair, thats what democracy is all about. Go talk to your congressman and see if you can get the law changed" says Grace.

[Manedwolf]

four officers raided the shop, confiscating several toys deemed to be illegal by the Texas penal code.

/NO COMMENT POSSIBLE 

[charby]

If I was a rich man I'd ship a truck load of sex toys to each of the dildo-heads who thought this was valid police work.

[crt360]

http://tinyurl.com/2q7r8s
Police Raid Lingerie Shop

He says obscenity laws have been on the books as long as they`ve had books as a way of protecting the community from what he calls the secondary effects of obscenity which are child pornography, money laundering and prostitution.

I always thought the primary secondary effect of obscenity was children. 

[Manedwolf]

http://tinyurl.com/2q7r8s
Police Raid Lingerie Shop

He says obscenity laws have been on the books as long as they`ve had books as a way of protecting the community from what he calls the secondary effects of obscenity which are child pornography, money laundering and prostitution.

I always thought the primary secondary effect of obscenity was children. 

Well, there was that bumper sticker I saw..."Don't Drink And Park, Accidents Cause People".

[Perd Hapley]

"I feel like I`m in 1690 Salem, Massachusetts and we`re looking for a witch to burn" says the stores owner.

Drama queen. 

[RadioFreeSeaLab]

No, she's just about right.  Policing which sex toys are sold is not valid police work.  It's none of the government's damn business.

[HankB]

That what they get for failing to provide freebies to the local constabulary . . . 

(Plus, it's safer than raiding a crack house or meth lab.)

[Tallpine]

Maybe happiness really is Lubbock, Texas in the rear view mirror ... 

[Brad Johnson]

No, she's just about right.

No, she's exactly right.  Remember that these are the same people who arrested a bunch of Chippendale dancers a few months ago, going so far as to put them in leg irons.

Our city government has become obsessed with being the morality police.  This latest eye-roller is in addition to the Chippendales fiasco, and shutting down all the sexually oriented businesses (aka strip clubs) on even the most minute technicality in their permit applications.  By the way, the video taped "evidence" the police submitted for proscecution in the Chippendales case was released recently.  It is so laughably devoid of any actual violations that I wish the Chippendales organization really had taken the city to court over it, if for no other reason than the negative publicity and to wipe their officious noses in it.

This is also the same city government that has been beating us over the head with red-light cameras.  They have endlessly claimed the cameras are there "for safety", only to change the light locations at the last minute "because studies have shown that the intersections in question do not have enough violations for the cameras to be economically viable".  (a direct quote from both the city trafic engineer and one of our illustrious city councilpersons).

The most unfortunate part about this whole deal is the store clerk that was arrested.  If convicted on the charges they are trying for, the clerk would be forever branded as a sex offender.  A lifetime of derision, persecution, and ridicule for someone who is guilty of simply showing up for work, and city doesn't care (see assistant DA's comments in story above).  I guess as long as they prosecute someone they feel like they've done their job.

Brad

[Manedwolf]

No, she's just about right.

No, she's exactly right.  Remember that these are the same people who arrested a bunch of Chippendale dancers a few months ago, going so far as to put them in leg irons.

Our city government has become obsessed with being the morality police.  This latest eye-roller is in addition to the Chippendales fiasco, and shutting down all the sexually oriented businesses (aka strip clubs) on even the most minute technicality in their permit applications.  By the way, the video taped "evidence" the police submitted for proscecution in the Chippendales case was released recently.  It is so laughably devoid of any actual violations that I wish the Chippendales organization really had taken the city to court over it, if for no other reason than the negative publicity and to wipe their officious noses in it.

This is also the same city government that has been beating us over the head with red-light cameras.  They have endlessly claimed the cameras are there "for safety", only to change the light locations at the last minute "because studies have shown that the intersections in question do not have enough violations for the cameras to be economically viable".  (a direct quote from both the city trafic engineer and one of our illustrious city councilpersons).

The most unfortunate part about this whole deal is the store clerk that was arrested.  If convicted on the charges they are trying for, the clerk would be forever branded as a sex offender.  A lifetime of derision, persecution, and ridicule for someone who is guilty of simply showing up for work, and city doesn't care (see assistant DA's comments in story above).  I guess as long as they prosecute someone they feel like they've done their job.

Brad

When this sort of thing happened in Florida, the lawmaker that was doing all the pushes for morality usually ended up being caught with a transvestite prostitute, or something worse.

Hopefully something similar will derail the efforts there.

[Brad Johnson]

Some day they will push the wrong person the wrong way and stir up a violent fecal atmospheric phenomena they can't pray away.  When that happens I guarantee every lawyer from Maine to Malibu will be crawling over this community, camera in hand, finding every skeleton in every clost.  Too bad it will have to come to that for them to realize just how negative their actions really are for this community, but that's the only way they'll learn.

Brad

[Perd Hapley]

He's still a drama queen. 

[Gewehr98]

Didn't I see this on an episode of Reno 911?   

[nico]

Can someone explain how woman + vibrator = child pornography, money laundering, and prostitution? 

stories like this really make conservatives look bad.

[thebaldguy]

It's ALMOST funny that tax dollars are being used to wage a war against sex toys.

SWAT teams raiding bedrooms may be next!

"Police! Put the vibrator on the ground and nobody gets hurt!"

Unreal.

[lupinus]

yeah, cause like, no law shouldn't be enforced right?  I mean it's on the books it MUST be enforced!

When did we get rid of all those illegal alien laws agian?  I missed thsoe headlines.

[cordex]

You guys are seriously suggesting that a law should not be enforced?

You are all a bunch of anarchists who want the mafia to launder money using child porn.

[RadioFreeSeaLab]

I'm saying the law ought not exist.

[roo_ster]

A pretty foolish way to spend taxpayer dollars, IMO. 

But, the good citizens of Lubbock have the opportunity to register their support or lack of same when election time comes 'round.  Or, maybe they have, if similar publicized incidents have occurred in the past?  It seems we have a Lubbock citizen on these very boards who might be able to comment on that.

I am reminded of the 10th Amendment:
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution,
nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively,
or to the people.

There are 49 other states and lots of other communities in which to reside.  Those communities can best decide for themselves what sort of community they want and what sort of spin they want to place on the term "obscene."  Even if it makes me giggle at them.

Last, the owner is a drama queen. 

[Perd Hapley]

You are all a bunch of anarchists who want the mafia to launder money using child porn.

  Drama queen.   

[cordex]

Drama queen.   

What?  Me?!?  Well, I have NEVER been so insulted in my life!  Watch your back around September 21st and 22nd.  We'll find a use for you then!

Uppity azazel ... hope you remember your wilderness survival basics.

[Brad Johnson]

It seems we have a Lubbock citizen on these very boards who might be able to comment on that.

We do? Where!?

Brad
( )

[Perd Hapley]

Ok, cordex, now I'm just confused. 

[thebaldguy]

I think we all agree that porn involving minors should be illegal. I'm not so sure that someone who sells sex toys should be treated as a sex offender.

There are more worthwhile laws to enforce. Enforcing this law is a waste of tax dollars.

There are lots of laws that are antiquidated that are no longer enforced. In many states, it's still illegal to hang men's and women's underware on the same line.