Las Vegas Sun

February 9, 2010

Currently: 47° | Complete forecast | Log in

ADULT BUSINESSES:

Swinging Vegas entrepreneur to get his day in court

Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008 | 2 a.m.

Face to Face: Shackled by County

  • Shackled by County, seg. 1
  • Shackled by County, seg. 2
  • Shackled by County, seg. 3
  • Shackled by County, seg. 4

Face to Face: Double Standard?

For years, Clark County has turned a blind eye to sex clubs operating in Commercial Center. Now, the owner of a new club says he's being singled out and denied a business license. Is the county cracking down, and should sex clubs, which flourish in the valley, be legal?

Sun Archives

Beyond the Sun

The courts are going to get a chance to settle the question of whether sex clubs should be legal in Las Vegas.

At the very least, a judge will be asked to determine whether 39-year-old swinger David Cooper is right when he says Clark County is out to get him. The county rejected Cooper’s business license application a few months ago after county investigators said he was operating before he had a license and had lie on his application.

Cooper and his attorney, Lisa Rasmussen, appealed to the Clark County Commission on Tuesday, arguing that at least four other swingers clubs operate in the complex where Cooper had set up Sextasy — Commercial Center, the oldest mall in Las Vegas, just west of the Maryland Parkway-East Sahara Avenue intersection.

While arguing against the investigators’ findings, Rasmussen made it clear she thinks Cooper’s constitutional rights were violated.

“It’s an equal protection under the law, 14th Amendment violation, when all of these other businesses do the same thing,” Rasmussen said.

Deputy District Attorney Rob Warhola responded that “we do not have to go after all businesses at once. We can go after them one at a time.”

Rasmussen and Cooper vowed to take the matter to court. The “overarching issue,” Rasmussen said, is whether sex clubs are legal here.

“If the county comes in and shuts down all of the clubs, then the next issue is the (sex club) ordinance itself,” she said. “It’s vague and overbroad and it won’t stand up to constitutional scrutiny facially or as applied.”

A sex club is defined by the county as “an establishment which provides patrons the opportunity to voluntarily engage in and/or view live consensual sexual activity and which collects remuneration of any kind, including entrance fees, facility use fees, gratuities, fees for goods provided far in excess of their value, and/or donations.”

Hotels could be included in that definition, Rasmussen argued.

Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani, whose district includes the Green Door, has told the Sun that other swingers clubs have been able to keep their business licenses because the county has yet to catch them “in the act.”

The Green Door in Commercial Center advertises itself on the Internet as “the largest sex club in the country.”

The commission voted unanimously to deny Cooper’s appeal after Giunchigliani said it was clear the county’s complaints were valid.

Joe Schoenmann can be reached at 259-4090 or at joe.schoenmann@lasvegassun.com.

Post a comment

Commenting requires registration.

Comments are moderated by Las Vegas Sun editors. Our goal is not to limit the discussion, but rather to elevate it. Comments should be relevant and contain no abusive language. Comments that are off-topic, vulgar, profane or include personal attacks will be removed. Full comments policy.

If you would like to submit your comment as a letter to the editor, you may submit it here.

Username:
Password: (Forgotten your password?)

OR Create an account (It's free)

Spotlight

Signing Day

Signing Day

Eight locals highlight first recruiting class at UNLV for new coach

Miss America

Miss America

Stories, photos and videos from this year's pageant

CES 2010

CES 2010

Full coverage of the International Consumer Electronics Show

CityCenter

CityCenter

The definitive guide to MGM Mirage's newest property

New Year's Eve

New Year's Eve

Full coverage of New Year's Eve 2009

Sights Unseen

Sights Unseen

A collection of our favorite images that didn't run in 2009

2020 Vision

2020 Vision

As a new decade begins, the Sun looks 10 years ahead

Bottoming Out

Bottoming Out

Gambling addiction in Las Vegas

Funny Face

Funny Face

Carrot Top's stage act a mask of contradictions

Renewable Energy

Renewable Energy

A detailed look at where renewable-energy sources are located in the state

A gamble in the sand

A gamble in the sand

The history of Las Vegas

Guest Gauge

Guest Gauge

The weekend crowd forecast for Las Vegas

  • Most Read
  • Discussed
  • Most E-mailed

Calendar »

  • 9 Tue
  • 10 Wed
  • 11 Thu
  • 12 Fri
  • 13 Sat