I clicked on this story because I thought, "Oh gad, who did John Rocker pi$$ off this time?!"
Posted on 06/20/2002 6:16:01 AM PDT by OldBlondBabe
Shock rocker Marilyn Manson pleaded no contest to misdemeanor assault and battery and disorderly conduct charges for gyrating against a security guard last summer.
Clarkston district Judge Gerald McNally on Wednesday fined Manson $4,000 but denied a prosecutor's request for jail time and counseling. Earlier, McNally had dismissed a fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct charge, which was a felony with a maximum penalty of two years in prison.
A no-contest plea is not an admission of guilt, but the defendant agrees to accept the court's punishment. Manson, whose real name is Brian Warner, did not speak during his hearing, other than to acknowledge his rights. He appeared in court without makeup and with his hair cut to just below the ears. He wore a black suit, shirt and tie and black rubber-soled boots. Afterward, Manson said he was satisfied with the judge's decision.
"I think it was very fair and very understanding," Warner said. "I think it's a bit of a victory for art, and I feel justice was served."
A lawyer for the security guard disagreed. John Nickola represents Joshua Keasler in a lawsuit against Manson.
"There's nothing artful about sexual assault," Nickola said. "Art has nothing to do with it."
Nickola said Manson received special treatment because he is a well-know performer. Manson lawyer Walter Piszczatowski argued that it was Keasler who was seeking special treatment.
"They filed a civil lawsuit to seek damages," Piszczatowski said. "That's what this is all about, Mr. Keasler getting some money."
Keasler's civil suit against Manson seeks unspecified damages. The case is pending in U.S. District Court in Detroit before Judge Paul Borman.
The charges stem from a concert July 30, 2001 at the DTE Energy Music Theatre, formerly Pine Knob. At an earler court hearing, Keasler testified that he was standing at the foot of the stage facing the crowd when Manson, clad in G-string, grabbed hime from behind. Manson closed his thighs around Keasler's neck and rubbed his genitals against the back of Keasler's head as the crowd cheered, Keasler said.
Piszczatowski argued that the routine was mere showmanship. But prosecutors considered it criminal.
"The victim was assaulted by the very person he was hired to protect," said assistant prosecutor Kenneth Frazee.
McNally said he didn't care for Manson's act.
"I'm not entertained by that kind of entertainment, but that's a personal choice," McNally said. "I think the court gets into a no man's land by trying to determine what is obscene."
McNally said all Americans should guard their civil liberties in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. He said security concerns must be balanced with fundamental freedoms, such as freedom of speech.
"I like the freedom of choice," McNally said. "You take that away, and it's a whole new world. We should applaud our legal system when you have that freedom."
Manson chatted and posed for pictures with fans waiting outside the courthouse. BobbyJo White, 22, of Jackson, said she drove two hours with friends to see Manson in court.
She attended the show that prompted the charges.
"I saw it happen," she said. "It's something that regularly happens in his stage show. When it happened, the security guard wasn't upset."
Would this have turned out differently if Manson had wrapped himself around a teenage girl, or boy or a woman?
Is he back from the minors yet?
"We know that the tail must wag the dog, as the horse is drawn by the cart;
But the Devil whoops, as he whooped of old: "It's clever, but is it Art?"
--Rudyard Kipling, The Conundrum of the Workshops, verse VII.
--Boris
?? The security guard was doing his/her job. The person would have been trained not to lose their cool.
Somebody should have been kind enough to offer the guard a Brian Warning.
I clicked on this story because I thought, "Oh gad, who did John Rocker pi$$ off this time?!"
You forgot the </SARCASM> tag... ;-)
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