After a unanimous vote by the Dallas City Council to institute a curfew for sexually oriented businesses, the city has now decided to hold off on citing businesses who break the new ordinance. The ordinance was set to take effect on January 31.
The hold off comes after a group of business owners, the Association of Club Executives of Dallas, filed a lawsuit against the city’s ordinance, which forces strip clubs and adult businesses to close at 2 a.m.
Barbara M. G. Lynn, a U.S. Chief District Court Judge for the Northern District of Texas, ruled against a motion for a temporary restraining order filed by the Association of Club Executives of Dallas. The restraining order was denied as the City of Dallas has shared that due to the lawsuit, they will be holding off until the week of February 7 to explore the matter further.
A hearing is set to be held with Judge Lynn to determine if the ordinance should be reviewed via a trial. During the restraining order hearing, personnel employed by adult businesses shared their concerns over the 2 a.m. curfew.
“It is going to affect my life, my parents, everybody else in this room who has someone other than themselves to look after,” Lee Molina shared when discussing her concerns over the ordinance.
“This is about public safety,” Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson reiterated of the ordinance. “It’s not about being puritanical or shaming anyone’s career choices.”
The Association of Club Executives of Dallas believes that the data used to support and pass the ordinance is insufficient and has requested it be further reviewed. The ordinance first became a topic late last year when several city officials cited that a restriction of hours could decrease crime in the city during the overnight hours when most sexually oriented businesses are still open.
