SAN PEDRO : Owner of Topless Bar to Fight Zoning Law
A man who operates a topless bar in a residential area of San Pedro said he will fight city prosecutors on 1st Amendment grounds.
Manhattan Beach resident Norman Newman, 51, has owned Norm’s Place at 915 S. Pacific Ave. for three years.
The business was originally a sports bar with entertainment, Newman said. But he changed the entertainment in August to include a show featuring bikini-clad women who remove their tops while dancing.
Newman and the bar’s manager, Alastair Heald, 49, of Fountain Valley, are charged with violating the Los Angeles Adult Entertainment Ordinance by operating the business within 500 feet of a residential area.
Deputy City Atty. Maria Perez Manning, who is handling the case, said the 2nd District Court of Appeal has already rejected the argument that the ordinance is unconstitutional.
But Newman said he will appeal to federal court.
Manning said police investigations began after several San Pedro residents complained about the bar’s operations.
Both men, who face a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine, have pleaded not guilty. A hearing is scheduled for Jan. 4 in San Pedro Municipal Court.
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