30 Years
 

I'm facing 30 years. As I sit here I wish to congratulate all the parents new and old. Ours is 14 and I'm wondering if I'll get to see her turn 15.
My father started a video store in 1976. We were the only store in E. Orange Co. when it opened. We carried every rating, & magazines & adult novelties too.
The County has now decided We are not in the correct "zoning". We have been in same location for 26 almost 27 years. We still carry all ratings, plus the mags & novelties. But we do not feel we are an "adult entertainment establishment" the co. WILL NOT tell us a true definition of their ordinance.
So as I sit here tonight I wonder If anyone realizes what I & my family has at steak for EVERYONE'S 1st amendment rights.
The county has decided to charge Me, My Mom & G-Mom with, get this
1) Racketeering (Felony- 30 yrs)
2) conspiracy to racketeer (Felony- 30 yrs)
3) Posession & distrubition or Sale of obscene material (felony)
Don't know how many yrs.
4) operating an unlicensed Adult bookstore. (ord. violation)
So as I sit here this evening I wonder, Will I get to see our daughter grow up? Will I get to grow old with Nasty Habit?

:confused: :confused: :confused:

Is that 30 years on the "inside":confused:

Yes 30 years for carring titles that are not illegal, but the county is charging me like they are & I knowingly continued to sell & rent them anyways. These titles are available at all the stores who carry adult titles, yet they only charged my store.

Sorry for the wierd way it was done earlier, I had typed the whole thing 3 times before only to be told I wasn't logged in. So I typed in pieces.

neb,

per my last post with Nasty, I am hoping your lawyer has all the dirt sorted and is ready for these jokers. Hope the day in court is a rude awakening for THEM, the beurocrats.

my fingers and toes are crossed for you.

Sounds politcal:mad:
Somebody with some pull whats you out of the nieghborhood:( .
Sounds like you should have good grounds for appeal , if it's common thing in other stores:)

Politicians regulating and legislating the far right moral agenda. That sucks for you and everybody, but I expect it will be the trend for at least a couple of years.

How long have you been selling the items that they find particularly offensive? If you have been in this business as long as you say, your merchandise is probably within the community standard, don't you think?

:confused: :confused: :confused: ;)

Sorry to hear this Neb.

Something like that is happening here too.

This is a full fledge ADULT store that has been operating for years. The township since built pre-school & kindergarden schools across the street from that store. Now they are trying to get them to move thier business.....

One other situation was a Gun shop in another town. They don't want to see the children having to pass that store, so they are trying to get them to move also....

And if you haven't already heard, Blow Boaters want to over regulate the NJ Waterways and ban powerboats from exceeding 35mph.

What is this world coming to......:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

First off obviously you need a KILLER lawer!!!! Second I agree 100% with TooOld on this one. IS IT WORTH IT. I know that it could seem like you want to not "cave in" to them but you need to decide if you want to fight this battle. Probably your Lawer is the only one that can help you make that decision.

I got Sewed by Bose (the speaker company) for a patent Infringement on thier sub box. They came after me guns a blazin. My father lucky for me is a Patent attorney and was able to make it all go away with one phone call. He said he could beat them but it would cost HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of dollars. Well sice I only sold a couple of these things a year I just agreed to never sell another and the whole thing went away.

Good luck to you. I am sure that you being in business for 25 years only helps your cause.

Jon

We have carried adult items since day one. What the main problem is, is they are trying to do away with adult movies ALL TOGETHER. What happens when the little guy like me keeps folding under the pressure? In a few years You will have MBI knocking on your door because you were looking at porn on the internet. Seems to Me, the majority of don't want anyone to know they like EROTICA, But why can't people Stand up and say Quit messing with my FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS!!!??
I hate horror movies. Will not watch a slasher movie to save my life, yet it is protected, and I would not dream to tell someone they could not view them!!!

We here in Cincy are very familiar with this type of gestapo tactic after the zealots from Citizens for Community Values went on a rampage. It was basically illegal to sell any adult mags Playboy, Penthouse etc. (Huge national attention to the Maplethorpe exhibit when Sy Leis and the boyz raided the Museum and arrested the director). Of all people to stand up it was good old Larry Flynt of Hustler. He had the deep pockets to fight them and has maintained a Cincy location though out. Of course it was portrayed as the sleaze peddlers vs the good and decent members of CCV when in actuality it is a question of 1st amendment rights. So as much as I hate to agree...it comes down to is it worth the fight financially. I seriously doubt it...

Recently CCV forced all the N.Ky hotels to eliminate any adult movie selections from the pay per view options by threatening boycotts. That action in my opinion shows the true agenda they are after as that is clearly a decisionable action by an adult to either watch or not. My point is they are huge international companies and they bowed to the pressure rather than to be painted in a negative light. Weak but a business reality...

In essence a agenda is forced by cohersion and threat. Typically the self serving members of the prosecutorial civil service view this as an absolute bandwagon to hitch up on to see if they can be viewed as "tougher than the next guy" on the latest scourge that's attacking our "quality of life". Great press just like other fanatical organizations leveraging the government (Sierra, MADD,PETA etc) and it's institutions which unfortunately are typically filled with self serving politicos.

Now to me, I'm not sure what people like this consider "moral" or "christian" or whatever. I would have thought that the founder of CCV would have articulated this point somewhat more succintly after he was released from prison after the Homestate banking crisis. But alas, he seems to have another agenda...

Whatever the "issue" porn, environment, gambling, manatees, speedlimits, homeland defense... what is important is to take a consistent stand against vocal radical minorities utilizing the goverment against us by shot gunning legislation contrary to the constitution. You may not agree with what someone has to say but you damn well better agree they have the right to say it.

Good luck!

Nebulous,

I am SO SORRY to hear of this aweful situation. As much as it is WRONG what they are doing, is the battle worth risking going to JAIL? Especially, mom AND GRANDMA too? That is TOTAL BULL****! 30 years of racketeering? Have any of these politicians looked in the mirror lately? It may be best to just close up shop and relocate and then sue the town for loss of business and other associated expenses. I cannot imagine it is worth it to not see your daughter, Nasty Habit or anyone else. Also, have you contacted 48 Hours? 60 Minutes? 20/20 etc? Seems to me that the BIG INTERNATIONAL shows like this may be able to help you defend your rights! Good luck.

Shane

Nebulous

Sounds like you really got someone pissed at you, who, unfortunately knows someone in high places.......:( :( .

I'm with Too Old, Audiofn, etc.....is it worth it??? I know you feel that if you back down, they win. But if you don't back down and you do 30 years hard time....they REALLY win !!!

Think hard about this before you junp......

Good Luck !!!

I'm in agreement with Risk Taker, Audiofn and Too Old on this one. Back off and reload and fight this from a different angle. Unfortunately, free speech is "free'er" for the people in power and it is best to be below their radar.

Good luck

Aren't you grandfatherd?

This sucks...sounds like you need one of Lary Flint's lawyers....you know he owns Hot Boat!

That is grim dude!

I can't stand a hypocrite. I'm betting that whoever is at the head of this witchhunt has a stack of ginch magazines under his bed.

As for me, I like porn and don't care who knows it.

One of the problems is it cost them nothing to do this to you. They use our money as well as yours { taxes } to fight you. Also contrary to belief you are guilty until proven innocent. For some reason people tend to believe if you are charged you are guilty. They tend to have a way to bend the facts in their favor. It is a bad thing to say but you would probably be better off to let it go. :mad: :mad:

Nebulous,

I don't have experience in areas pertaining to your situation. But I have been in some loosing situations and cut my looses and Damn glad I did.

I also know this from personal experience, you DO NOT want to be the guy they make an example of.

facing 30 years, cut your losses, move some where else, while its still an option if it is, my 2 cents.

Sorry:(

eeeek!!! 30 years is a hell of a gamble.

on teh plus side the judicial system is horribley slow. Youc an use that to your advantage. I am suing a former "emloyer/client" for non payment. I did over a 100 hours of work for this tool bag which amounts to about $3000. He never paid me a cent. Then tried to skip out my changinf addresses and so forth. This all started last february almost a year ago. I'v been to court 7 time and have to go back again this month and so far nothign has happened. I was granted decisions twice and twice he's appealed and had ity restored for a trial date. The court system is nasty especially if you can use it in your favor.

Quite frankly i dont; care abtou th $$$ anymore. Its arinciple thing. At this poitn after alleth agravation and bull**** i woudl be willgin to spend a hell of alot more than $3000 to get this **** burger. Once I finally win I am goign after his NY business liscense. Eventually I will win. I did teh work I had a contract he didn;t pay. But the question is is it worth it to me.


As to your situation. If you can still make good $$$ without erotica and get away from any legal BS i woudl avoid the legal system. Even if you win the court fees are going to cost a ton of $$$. Perhaps the up another smaller store specializing in just the erotica section. For the money you don't have to spend on defense fees it might be worth it. OR contact an adult film industry lobbyist. I know this is a huge debate right now (i saw an funny interview with ron jeremy on a local news show, aprently he's from brooklyn) and the porn industry is spending tons of $$$ trying to protect thier investment/industry. The south is a hot bed for these types of cases now.

Best bet avoid court/jail at all costs. Lock Down's a *****........

I understand the concept of cut your losses & run, But I also wonder where we will be if someone doesn't take that risk. YES it is one hell of a risk. I think of it every waking moment. I also think of where we would be if our forefathers had not taken that risk for which they blieved in.
"GOD SAVE THE QUEEN"
If I fold I WON'T be able to move & try again later. They will come after me with a vengeance! " Hell she closed once, She'll do it again."
The most important thing is that people use thier voices, Phones & Emails to let our gov't know they work for US!!!! I get so d@mn mad.
The only reason & I do mean ONLY reason I even consider it is for my family. Hopefully they understand the importance of this whole thing. Luckily for me Nasty Does!
P.S. My Dad went through the same thing when I was a kid in the 70's & 80's.

Sic 'em.:cool:

Sounds like a raw deal to me. None of you board surfers are hot shot laywers? Damn...well Im there to help in any way I can.

Shane posted the info on "Legal defense fund"
Thank you so very much for the support.:)

Stick it out
 

Hi! Hon! Rox,
I dont think a jury will try to say what is obscene or
not. You are innocent of racketeering, stick it out!
You certainly would be grandfathered- in by now.
Do you think you have a chance, what does atty say??
This is zoning problems, you have been there before
zoning started.
:mad:
ps ...Got your phone message, we were in St Pete.

Sounds like the same crew that went after Rachel's. They are all but closed completly.

Is your store on East Colonial??

What a tough call. Because of the risk, I can see the cut the losses argument. On the other hand if you move they will find you. And if not you, someone else. Someone needs to set a precedent.

I would fight you hard if you were trying to move into my neighborhood. But, if I moved into your neighborhood, I would not have anything to say.

Best of luck.

Yes we are 11484 E. Colonial Dr.
It's the little purple bldg. between Super wally world & WMFE
I understand But on the other hand I don't advertise the fact that we carry adult. We are just a mom & pop opperation

One of my close friends owns an adult establishment (many including one in florida) - AKA strip clubs- he has had a lot of problems but always wins. You might try asking arround to the other stores that rent adult goods and see if you find any names of local people in power that rent or purchase adult goods. My friend has video of the local politicians using his establishments. It really helps when they threaten court.

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
Our property Manager just called, & you will never guess What the county is pulling now........... THEY sent a letter top the owner's sister who lives in maryland (only address on file) Stating that if I do not cease "Operating" by Dec. 12th, The county code enforcement board May have to start levying fines of
"UP TO $1000.00 PER DAY"!!!!
HOLY BAT$H!T, BATMAN.
they sent me the same letter threatening me with the same fine. But my date was Today, Dec. 11th.


We Opened as usual @10am:eek:
We will be open tomarrow @ 10am as well.

I hope I get to sue a barrel of people & County Boards(?)
Does this not sound like harrassment to you? I'm already being charged criminally, Am I GUILTY before proven INNOCENT????:mad: :mad:

P.S. The store # is 407-249-1551
Give us a call sometime:D

Joe Redner tried to open a gentlemans club in my small town many years ago. At the time, we had no ordinances prohibiting that type of business. The county commissioners passed an emergency ordinance, the sherrifs dept went out and arrested management, dancers and patrons and shut the place down. Not long after that Redner settled for several million$$$.

Oh yeah, We have a running tally of the f'd up things that have been going on. I always liked the number "15".

I cannot begin to tell you what is going on now....but I can say STAY TUNED....it's getting good.......

Run for your life
 

Look at what Larry Flint and his brother went thru in Cincinnati, and I'm sure they have a lot more money to fight with than you do, bite the bullet and move to another location, it isn't worth losing your freedom and all your money. Once your on the outside of that county start a smaller fight, sue for harassment, find out the real reason their starting with you, ie.......do they want that real estate for their own purposes?, is the owner of another business like yours lining their pockets to put you outta business?, do it while your a free man, it's a lot easier then doing it from the inside.

Any update on this situation????

We are running .........running right at them with the intent of trampling them under foot !!!!! alot of interesting things are happening ...which I cannot expand on at the moment. But will when given the go ahead from our lawyer...

the $1000.00 a day fine has yet to materialize...

the same $1000.00 /day notice was sent to the property owner...to date no word on where that stands...

an injunction has been filed to stop future action till our court procedings are concluded......no word on this yet

arrainment hearing is on Thurs....


I WISH I COULD SPILL THE BEANS......

oh yea ...open for biz as usual