Doraville wins court ruling against strip club
The city of Doraville on Monday won another round in its long-running, contentious dispute with Oasis Goodtime Emporium, the adult entertainment club on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard.
In a one-sentence ruling, the Georgia Supreme Court rejected the club’s bid to strike down a pretrial injunction that forbids Oasis from selling alcohol and providing nude dancing.
The case now returns to DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Asha Jackson, who is overseeing three separate cases involving the adult entertainment club.
In one novel tactic, the club maintains it should receive an alcohol license because it now features "regular performances of artistic value." This makes the club a "serious" arts venue — like a theater, museum or concert hall — which is permitted to have displays of nudity and alcohol sales, Oasis argues. The club's shows now include acrobats swinging from ceilings, burlesque dancers and body painters.
The club has filed two lawsuits, both aimed at obtaining an alcohol permit from the city. Separately, Doraville filed suit to get the injunction, which was upheld in Monday’s ruling.
Even so, Oasis will continue to sell alcohol and have nude dancing, said Alan Begner, one of the club’s lawyers.
“The court’s ruling is only partly relevant to a three-lawsuit challenge to the denial of our alcohol license,” he said. “This case is the least relevant of the three to that question.”
About the Author
Bill Rankin has been an AJC reporter for more than 30 years. His father, Jim Rankin, worked as an editor for the newspaper for 26 years, retiring in 1986. Bill has primarily covered the state’s court system, doing all he can do to keep the scales of justice on an even keel. Since 2015, he has been the host of the newspaper’s Breakdown podcast.
