A panel of three federal appeals court judges told the owners of a Sandy Springs sex toys shop that they were going to rule in favor of the city, which wants to force the store out. But wait, come back to us in a month or so and the whole court of 11 judges will probably overturn the decision because the one we're making now is probably wrong.
That kind of sums up the decision of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta, which says morality laws are changing fast, almost too fast for us to keep up with.
However, the (in)decision seemed apropos for the decade-long battle between the business — Inserection — and Sandy Springs. A host of newly created cities have moved to clamp down on nude dancing and smut joints.
But these places all seem to make pretty good money — they can afford endless litigation — and there are other pressing issues like the First Amendment and the right to privacy bumping up against local residents and the pols they elect who say they want wholesome towns.
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