Posted on 02/11/2005 9:04:46 AM PST by woofie
CLOVIS— A Clovis man has been charged with distribution of sexually oriented materials to minors because of the stickers displayed on his car.
The stickers portray cartoon images of bare-breasted female devils in sexual positions.
Dean Young, 31, owns the car and faces the misdemeanor charge.
Young has contacted the American Civil Liberties Union, which is considering representing him, said Peter Simonson, executive director of the ACLU of New Mexico. Simonson hasn't seen the stickers, but says he doubts they would violate the law.
"I've never heard of anyone getting a ticket for a sticker on a car," Simonson said. "Unless the stickers are directly and immediately inciting people to violence— that's the only way the Supreme Court has said that free speech can be somehow limited."
Prosecutor Chris Chandler said he was concerned with the strength of the case until he saw the images. "Once you look at the picture, it obviously depicts a sexual act. That's far beyond what is depicted on the mudflaps truckers have," Chandler said.
On Wednesday, Young said the stickers remain on his car but he hadn't decided whether he wants to take the case to court.
Young described the stickers as "raunchy" but not pornographic.
The case came to the attention of police when the young son of Clovis Detective Kirk Roberts saw the stickers as his family arrived at the restaurant where Young works.
Young said he would have removed the stickers with a request, but then Roberts threatened to charge him with a felony.
Police issued the misdemeanor citation Dec. 12. "The only reason I'm getting charged with this is because some overzealous, churchgoing detective got offended by it, and got even more offended by it by the fact that I didn't take it off after he threatened me," Young said.
Roberts said the stickers go beyond Young's First Amendment rights.
"The picture is pornographic," Roberts said
law is a relative thing with the ACLU. It is whatever they wish it to mean.
You can't win being overzealous. The result will be a shift back to the left as middle ground people become disillusioned with the efforts of the moral right. I'm not saying it's right or wrong. I'm saying that's the way it works in political America. This is why the democratic party won't die. The extreme right will cause the left to keep a pulse.
ACLU: "We haven't seen any of the evidence but that wont stop us!"
no but you will get a lot of disgusted looks!! :)
Truckes beware! Your mud flaps are next.
Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here.
if they are cartoons drawn by an artist they are protected by the first amendment period
Ping. Now we gotta go lock up all those surviving bomber pilots from WWII. That T&A nose art could be bad for "the children."
Groupthink, here we come. No personal expression allowed, not even on your car.
This is the kind of case that truly is the CL in ACLU. I can see the headline now: 'ACLU Defends De Fender That Offended'
Well, as much as I like pictures of naked chicks (and naked devil chicks, which is what this guy seemed to have) I tend to agree that you don't have a right to show them in public.
Sure, but that doesn't mean you have the right to show them in public.
I aschew personal expression on my vehicle. The roadways are too dangerous and ppl are too uptight. I am a friggin herd animal. I don't want to catch the attention of jerks, weirdos or cops, and I sure don't care about expressing myself to them. I want to get from point A to point B unmolested. Next thing you know I'd have a friggin lawsuit on my hands. And for what? So some idiot on the road can learn more about me? I don't think so.
I can hear it now...."Daddy, what are those devils doing ?"
I would be interested in your opinion of how libertarianism applies to this specific case.
No, but it will greatly increase the probability that your car will be keyed...
During the Korean War, the 19th BG at Kadena had their B-29 nose art censored, supposedly because the base commander's wife found some of it offensive. An acronym like "Fujigmo" could make it under the radar, but the bazooms got covered.
OK, I found the stickers in question. They're by some guy named Coop. You can see them here:
http://www.coopstuff.com/Pages/Stickers.html
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