WAUKEGAN, IL — The Lake County Circuit Court in Waukegan, IL has fined two local adult businesses $204,500 each for their violations of local adult-use ordinances. Judge Margaret Mullen fined Baby Dolls and Video Magic yesterday, basing the totals on fines of $500 per day, dating back to their state court appeal on May 6th of last year. The state Supreme Court refused to hear the businesses’ complaints challenging the county adult-use ordinances as unconstitutional and the judge has ordered both businesses to close because neither attempted to get the appropriate adult-use license during its appeals.The lawyer for both businesses, Daniel Pissios, told the local media that the chance of the two appealing the fines is “very likely.”
Baby Dolls, a strip club, is no longer open and has placed the building up for rent. Video Magic is also closed and has painted over all but one of its signs. Both stores are located in the town of Wadsworth and have been ordered to pay the fines in full by November 30th.
Local county ordinances dictate that adult businesses cannot remain open after midnight or on Sundays and that peep arcade booths must be open on one side and viewable by a store manager at a glance. In strip clubs, there must be a partition between the girls and the patrons, the dancers must be at least eight feet from the patrons and full nudity is not allowed.
This is not the first time that the county’s very clearly-worded adult-use restrictions have gone after overly-zealous-for-profit adult retailers.
