Lake County judge fines adult clubs

Court-ordered fines for violations of a Lake County adult entertainment ordinance has sent another $409,000 to the taxpayers.

Circuit Judge Margaret Mullen's Thursday order adds to the $855,000 the county is trying to collect from the owners of a third adult business, and a yet-undisclosed amount expected to be announced Tuesday from a fourth.

The judgments of $204,500 against the owners of each Baby Dolls exotic dance club and Video Magic adult video store, both in Wadsworth, were not nearly as severe as they could have been.

The county's ordinance, enacted in its final version Oct. 9, 2001, provided for $500 fines each day the establishments operated without licenses.

Neither business obtained a license, and Mullen ordered them shuttered along with the Dancers exotic dance club in Ela Township on June 28 of this year.

But in her order released Thursday, Mullen said she was not assessing fines against the businesses during the time their attorneys were pursuing appeals of the ordinance's constitutionality.

Those appeals came to an end May 15, 2006, when the U.S. Supreme Court refused to consider the matter.

So Mullen decided to enforce the fines only for the 409 days between May 15, 2006, and June 28, 2007, for the $204,500 total.

Lake County Assistant State's Attorney Dan Jasica, who said the county has spent around $480,000 defending the ordinance against the legal challenges, was pleased with Thursday's results.

"I think it is a very good outcome," Jasica said. "The judge considered all the facts and arrived at a fair decision."

Lou Pissios, the attorney for both Baby Dolls and Video Magic, declined to comment other than to say an appeal was "very, very likely."

Even if an appeal is filed over the fines due to be paid Nov. 30, Jasica said, he expects the court will order the businesses to post a bond very early in the proceedings.

"We expect the court will order a bond in an amount close to or equal that of the fines," he said. "We believe the fines will be upheld, and we do not want to have to go looking for the money afterward."

There was no bond securing the $855,000 judgment against the owners of 41 News, awarded in November 2006, and the county is in collection proceedings.

Next up on the docket are the fines against Dancers, set for Tuesday in front of Mullen.

Jasica said he has reached a negotiated settlement with Dancers' attorneys, but declined to disclose the amount until it is formally presented to the judge.