Every law gets enforced all the time. The Police Department intends to put National Football League executives on notice about the rigorous enforcement. But the tough talk doesn't appear to be cowing club owners, who stand to make more money in the days leading to the Super Bowl than during all the year's holidays put together. I think we're in the forefront of individual liberties in this country. A panel of six Hillsborough County judges has yet to rule collectively on challenges to the December 1999 city ordinance that requires dancers stay 6 feet from customers.
Lawyers say it is overly broad, improperly adopted and contradicts state law.
Judge Manuel Lopez said he doesn't expect a ruling before the Super Bowl, Jan. 28. Betting that the courts will come down on their side, many clubs still offer lap dances. Joe Redner, owner of the nude club Mons Venus, said that until a court tells him otherwise, the lap dance will continue. There have been about 200 such arrests since the Tampa City Council unanimously passed the ordinance. Bartlett said he and his partner cannot enforce the ordinance every time they see it flouted because they need more than two officers to make an arrest in clubs where passions could ignite a fight.