Opinion ID: 162185
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: age restriction

Text: 21 Both parties contest the district court's handling of plaintiffs' challenge to section 12-12-11(B), the section prohibiting anyone under the age of twenty-one from being on the premises of a business offering live nude dancing. The district court ruled that section 12-12-11(B) was valid as applied to patrons of nude dancing establishments, but invalid as applied to dancers. 22 Nude dancing is expressive conduct protected by the First Amendment. Schad v. Borough of Mount Ephraim, 452 U.S. 61, 66, 101 S.Ct. 2176, 68 L.Ed.2d 671 (1981). Such dancing is not core First Amendment speech, but rather falls only within the outer ambit of free speech protection. City of Erie v. Pap's A.M., 529 U.S. 277, 289, 120 S.Ct. 1382, 146 L.Ed.2d 265 (2000) (plurality opinion). As with any symbolic speech mixing elements of speech and conduct, the first question to be answered is whether section 12-12-11(B) is content based or content neutral. Texas v. Johnson, 491 U.S. 397, 407, 109 S.Ct. 2533, 105 L.Ed.2d 342 (1989). Content based regulations are subject to strict scrutiny, while content neutral regulations need only satisfy the more relaxed scrutiny specified in United States v. O'Brien, 391 U.S. 367, 377, 88 S.Ct. 1673, 20 L.Ed.2d 672 (1968). See id. Because we conclude, however, that section 12-12-11(B) does not survive intermediate scrutiny under O'Brien, we need not decide whether it is content neutral or content based. 23 The O'Brien test has four factors. First, this court must assess whether Federal Heights possesses the constitutional power to enact the ordinance. Second, the regulation must further an important or substantial government interest. Third, the government interest must be unrelated to the suppression of free expression. Fourth, the restriction must be no greater than is essential to the furtherance of the government interest. See O'Brien, 391 U.S. at 377, 88 S.Ct. 1673. It is the burden of Federal Heights to prove satisfaction of each of these elements. See United States v. Playboy Entm't Group, Inc., 529 U.S. 803, 816, 120 S.Ct. 1878, 146 L.Ed.2d 865 (2000) (When the Government restricts speech, the Government bears the burden of proving the constitutionality of its actions.); Z.J. Gifts, 136 F.3d at 688. The city has not met its burden with respect to the second O'Brien requirement. We do not address the other factors. 24
25 The city asserts it has an interest in combating the harmful secondary effects flowing from nude dancing, including a decrease in property values, an increase in crime, and sexually transmitted diseases. 10 The city's interest is undeniably important. Pap's A.M., 529 U.S. at 296, 120 S.Ct. 1382 (plurality opinion). The city must demonstrate, however, that the harms it seeks to circumscribe are real. See Turner Broad. Sys., Inc. v. FCC, 512 U.S. 622, 664, 114 S.Ct. 2445, 129 L.Ed.2d 497 (1994). The city has presented undisputed evidence establishing the existence of harmful secondary effects of nude dancing establishments and, accordingly, that it has a substantial or important interest in limiting those effects. 26 A municipality only has a substantial or important governmental interest in combating the harmful secondary effects of nude dancing if those secondary effects are real. Phillips v. Borough of Keyport, 107 F.3d 164, 175 (3d Cir.1997) (en banc). 11 The Supreme Court held in City of Renton v. Playtime Theatres, Inc. that a city enacting an ordinance aimed at secondary effects can rely on evidence reasonably believed to be relevant to the problem the city addresses. 475 U.S. 41, 51-52, 106 S.Ct. 925 (1986). The city need not conduct new studies or produce independent evidence of the secondary effects, but may rely on the experience of other cities. Id. at 51, 106 S.Ct. 925. In order to prove a substantial interest in limiting the secondary effects of sexually oriented businesses, the governmental body must point to evidence of secondary effects at the time of enactment or evidence of current secondary effects. See Barnes v. Glen Theatre, Inc., 501 U.S. 560, 582, 111 S.Ct. 2456, 115 L.Ed.2d 504 (1991) (Souter, J., concurring in the judgment) (Our appropriate focus is not an empirical enquiry into the actual intent of the enacting legislature, but rather the existence or not of a current governmental interest .... (emphasis added)). 12 Thus, evidence of secondary effects occurring even years after the enactment of a statute may form the basis of a government's substantial interest in limiting those secondary effects. See DLS, Inc., 107 F.3d at 410-11 (6th Cir.1997) (rejecting the argument that evidence of secondary effects developed after enactment of adult entertainment regulation is irrelevant); see also J & B Entm't, Inc. v. City of Jackson, 152 F.3d 362, 371-72 (5th Cir. 1998). 27 Other courts have required a substantial evidentiary showing of secondary effects before a city's interest in combating them will be deemed substantial or important. The Fifth Circuit requires a showing based on testimony of individuals, local studies, or the experiences of other cities. SDJ, Inc. v. City of Houston, 837 F.2d 1268, 1274 (5th Cir.1988). Merely stating the words secondary effects in a preamble is insufficient. J & B Entm't, 152 F.3d at 373-74. The Third Circuit requires the regulating governmental body to identify the secondary effects with some particularity and put forth some record support for the existence of those effects. Phillips, 107 F.3d at 175. 28 This circuit has declared that a city's stated purpose to limit the impact of secondary effects must be credited and accorded high respect. Z.J. Gifts, 136 F.3d at 688 (quotation omitted). A city may control a perceived risk of secondary effects through regulation and need not wait until the secondary effects actually exist. Id. 29 Federal Heights' evidentiary showing is substantial. The preamble to Ordinance 94-16, which enacted the predecessor of section 12-12-11(B), recited several harmful secondary effects that the city found were caused by adult entertainment establishments. There is no preamble to Ordinance 95-11, which enacted section 12-12-11(B), but section 12 of the ordinance provided that the ordinance is deemed necessary for the protection of the health, welfare, and safety of the community. Ordinance 96-15 amended the zoning laws of Federal Heights to prohibit adult entertainment establishments from locating within 500 feet of a church, school, other adult entertainment establishment, or a residential zone. The preamble recites that the city consulted land use studies from other cities demonstrating adverse secondary impacts from adult businesses, but the cities, the authors, and details of the studies are not included. 30 Ordinance 97-15 amended other provisions of the adult business regulations and created, among other things, an employee licensing scheme. The preamble to 97-15 cites Renton for the proposition that it may rely on the experience of other cities with harmful secondary effects from adult businesses and need not await the impact of such effects. The preamble also states that the City Council and administrators have reviewed many land use studies concerning secondary effects. The location and dates of fourteen studies are listed, but no details are given. From these studies, the City Council concluded that secondary effects result from adult businesses. These effects include increased rates of certain crimes, the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, and harmful effects on surrounding residences and businesses including decreased property values and parking and traffic problems. 31 The affidavit of Sharon Richardson, Mayor Pro Tem of Federal Heights, states that residents shared concerns with me about the nature of the effects of Adult Entertainment Establishments on the community. Section 12-12-11(b) was supported by studies and information received subsequent to the 1995 ordinance. The City Council's deliberations on Zoning Ordinance 96-15, she testifies, took into account secondary impact studies both locally and nationally. Crime statistics relating to adult businesses were presented to the Council, as was an informal survey of other Colorado communities regarding their experiences with the secondary effects of adult businesses. Ms. Richardson also testified that Federal Heights had a topless dancer club from 1975 to 1979 and that there were numerous problems ... including one murder on the premises. 32 In this case, Federal Heights has offered undisputed evidence that secondary effects have resulted and will result from nude dancing clubs and other forms of adult entertainment. As noted above, there are numerous statements in the preambles of various Federal Heights ordinances that the presence of adult entertainment establishments would result in harmful secondary effects. These preambles are not mere incantations of secondary effects. See J & B Entm't, 152 F.3d at 373-74. Rather, they are a detailed list of the harmful effects the City Council expected to flow from adult entertainment establishments. Detailed as they are, and, given the testimony of Mayor Pro Tem Richardson, supported by studies and information received by the Council, these preambles are strong evidence of secondary effects. See id. at 374 (preamble statements properly explained are evidence of substantial governmental interest in limiting secondary effects). Additionally, the City Council was in close communication with its constituents who made clear that there were concerns about the effect of adult establishments on the community. The subsequent pronouncements of the City Council that it felt the need to deal with the imminent secondary effects of adult establishments should be interpreted as experienced, particularized, expert judgments entitled to significant weight. See Pap's A.M., 529 U.S. at 297-98, 120 S.Ct. 1382 (plurality opinion). Moreover, Federal Heights consulted several studies from other jurisdictions and relied on court decisions detailing the secondary effects flowing from such establishments. Ms. Richardson's affidavit also reveals that Federal Heights and the City Council had some experience with a topless dancing club and its attendant problems. See DLS, Inc., 107 F.3d at 410 (noting that city's experience with crime-ridden adult cabaret fifteen years before enactment of adult entertainment ordinance was evidence that secondary effects result from adult cabarets). 33 When there is evidence of secondary effects in the form of supported preamble statements, studies and court decisions relied upon by the governing body, and localized experience with crime or other secondary effects associated with nude dancing, the city is entitled to summary judgment on the existence of a substantial governmental interest unless the challenger presents conflicting evidence giving rise to an issue of fact. See Jones v. Denver Post Corp., 203 F.3d 748, 751 (10th Cir. 2000) (party opposing summary judgment motion must identify sufficient evidence which would require submission of the case to the jury (quotations omitted)). Plaintiffs have not referenced any evidence casting doubt on the existence of secondary effects. Accordingly, Federal Heights has demonstrated as a matter of law that it has a substantial interest in combating the secondary effects associated with nude dancing. 34
35 The O'Brien test is not satisfied, however, merely by the existence of a substantial governmental interest in regulating secondary effects. The city must also prove that its chosen weapon against these secondary effects will further its mission. The city has chosen to combat the general secondary effects associated with nude dancing not by banning nude dancing outright, but by banning those under twenty-one from nude dancing establishments. The district court ruled that Federal Heights failed to present evidence that its age restriction on dancers would further its interest in combating secondary effects. Dist. Ct. Op. at 6-7. It therefore denied Federal Heights motion for summary judgment in part and granted plaintiffs' in part. 13 36 A ban on nude dancing would necessarily further the city's interest in minimizing secondary effects. Pap's A.M., 529 U.S. at 300-01, 120 S.Ct. 1382 (plurality opinion); Barnes, 501 U.S. at 584, 111 S.Ct. 2456 (Souter, J., concurring in the judgment). Federal Heights' more limited ban on the presence of those under twenty-one complicates the analysis. Compliance with the ordinance does not require further clothing of the dancers. Federal Heights must thus establish that banning persons under twenty-one while maintaining nude dancing would combat the secondary effects associated with nude dancing. 37 The city attempted to demonstrate that the age restriction furthers its interest in combating secondary effects by offering the affidavit of Mayor Pro Tem Richardson and the affidavit of Jennifer Weaver, a former dancer at Bare Essence. The city did not offer the Weaver affidavit until the day of oral argument on the cross-motions for summary judgment, almost six months after it filed its summary judgment motion. Weaver was a dancer at the Bare Essence and testified to observing numerous illegal activities and conduct at the club violating the Federal Heights ordinance. Specifically, Weaver testified to seeing dancers under the age of twenty-one drinking alcohol, being told in an employee meeting that it was acceptable for dancers to drink alcohol, and observing customers bring alcohol into the club for employees. Weaver's affidavit tends to prove that underage drinking occurs at nude dancing establishments and that the age restriction would be effective in reducing the crime of underage drinking. 38 The district court denied Federal Heights' motion to supplement its reply brief with the affidavit. Our review of that decision, like review of other evidentiary rulings, is for abuse of discretion. See Sports Racing Servs., Inc. v. Sports Car Club of Am., Inc., 131 F.3d 874, 894 (10th Cir.1997) ([W]e review a district court's decision to exclude evidence at the summary judgment stage for abuse of discretion.). Plaintiffs objected to the affidavit as untimely and irrelevant. The transcript indicates that the district court initially thought the affidavit probative only as to the standing of plaintiffs and, hence, irrelevant to consideration of the cross-motions. The court, however, subsequently recognized that the city offered the affidavit to establish the city's need for the age restriction. Thus, the only ground upon which the district court could have denied the motion was timeliness. 39 A district court may, in its discretion, consider an untimely affidavit for cause shown if the failure to timely file the affidavit was the result of excusable neglect. Fed.R.Civ.P. 6(b)(2). 14 Federal Heights contends that the district court abused its discretion by concluding there was no evidence that the age restriction would further the city's interest in preventing secondary effects and yet the Court did not consider or allow the presentation of evidence which directly addressed the adverse secondary effects. The city's position is essentially that an abuse of discretion arises whenever a district court refuses to consider evidence necessary to one party's case. This court, however, will not overturn the district court's evidentiary decision unless we are firmly convinced that it made a clear error of judgment. United States v. Magleby, 241 F.3d 1306, 1315 (10th Cir.2001). The district court's exclusion of the late affidavit was not such an error. Cf. United States v. Diaz, 189 F.3d 1239, 1247 (10th Cir.1999) (holding district court has wide discretion to exclude expert testimony for which notice is untimely); see also United States v. Adams, 271 F.3d 1236, 1244 (10th Cir. 2001) (holding district court justifiably excluded psychologist testimony on timeliness grounds alone). 40 The only other materials offered by Federal Heights was Mayor Pro Tem Richardson's affidavit. Richardson testified that the City Council determined that the minimum age requirement of Code § 12-12-11 would assist Federal Heights in reducing the negative effects of sexually oriented businesses. Richardson also testified that the City Council determined again in 1995 that the age restriction on nude dancing would reduce secondary effects. She further testified that the Council's determination is supported by the studies and information received after passage of the restriction. The studies referenced by the affidavit are not in the record. 41 Federal Heights bears the burden at trial of proving that the age restriction furthers its interest in preventing the secondary effects of nude dancing even though nude dancing may still occur. To successfully resist plaintiffs' motion for summary judgment, Federal Heights, as the non-movant who bears the burden of proof at trial, may not rest on its pleadings but must come forth with specific facts showing there is a genuine issue for trial. Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(e); Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 324, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). Richardson's affidavit does not demonstrate that there is a genuine issue for trial on whether the age restriction furthers the city's interest. Mayor Pro Tem Richardson merely opines in a conclusory fashion that the age restriction furthers the city's interest. The affidavit does not provide a factual basis for Richardson's conclusion. This court has held that such an affidavit does not create a genuine issue of material fact. Murray v. City of Sapulpa, 45 F.3d 1417, 1422 (10th Cir.1995) (conclusory affidavits not providing factual bases for their conclusions not sufficient to create fact question); Hall v. Bellmon, 935 F.2d 1106, 1111 (10th Cir.1991) (conclusory, self-serving affidavit does not create fact question). Thus, plaintiffs' summary judgment motion should have been granted, 15 and section 12-12-11(B) should be stricken.