Iowa Asks State Supreme Court to Reconsider Nude Dancing Decision

DES MOINES, Iowa — A Fremont County judge ruled that nude dancing was an art and ruled in favor of an Iowa dance club owner. The state's attorney general wants that ruling reviewed.

In August of this year, Judge Timothy O'Grady found that prosecutors failed to prove that Shotgun Geniez in Hamburg, Iowa wasn't a theater.

The state's obscenity law doesn't apply to a "theater, concert hall, art center, museum or similar establishments" devoted to the arts or theatrical performances.

"The district court found that while this was primarily a strip club, that the theater exemption still applies," Iowa Assistant Attorney General Mary Tabor said. "We're just asking for a different interpretation of those exemptions."

The club, Shotgun Geniez, came under scrutiny when a 17-year-old girl climbed up on the stage and stripped off her clothes in July 2007.

Tabor said the club's owner could not be tried again due to double jeopardy. If the Supreme Court agrees to hear the case, however, and interprets the statute differently, it could affect similar future cases in Iowa.

At the time of publication, no date has been set for the court's decision.

Related:  

Copyright © 2026 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Arcom-Targeted Sites Implement Age Verification in France

Five high-traffic adult websites based outside of France have implemented age verification as required under the nation’s Security and Regulation of the Digital Space (SREN) law, after receiving warnings from French media regulator Arcom.

Florida Attorney General Dismisses AV Suit Against Segpay

The Florida attorney general’s office on Monday agreed to dismiss claims against payment processor Segpay in a lawsuit over alleged noncompliance with the state’s age verification law.

FTC Weighs Reboot of 'Click to Cancel' Rulemaking Process

The Federal Trade Commission has invited public comments on a petition to renew trade regulation rulemaking concerning negative option plans, after a federal court previously vacated a “click-to-cancel” rule aimed at making it easier for consumers to cancel online subscriptions.

New Federal Bills Aim to Repeal Section 230

Members of Congress this week introduced two bills calling for the repeal of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which protects interactive computer services — including adult platforms — from liability for user-generated content.

House of Lords Approves UK Plan to Outlaw 'Choking' Content

The House of Lords, the U.K.’s upper house of Parliament, has agreed to amendments to the pending Crime and Policing Bill that would make depicting “choking” in pornography illegal and designate it a “priority offense” under the Online Safety Act.

Indiana Sues Aylo Over AV, Calls IP Address Blocking 'Insufficient'

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita has filed a lawsuit against Aylo, alleging that the company and its affiliates have violated both Indiana’s age verification law and the state’s Deceptive Consumer Sales Act.

House Committee Amends, Advances Federal AV Bill

A U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee voted Thursday to amend the SCREEN Act, which would make site-based age verification of users seeking to access adult content federal law, and to advance the bill for review by the full Committee on Energy and Commerce.

FSC Announces Board of Directors Election Results

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has announced the results of its 2026/2027 Board of Directors election.

Report: AVS Group Beefs Up AV After $1.3 Million Fine

Adult content provider AVS Group has begun to institute robust age checks on some of its websites after U.K. media regulator Ofcom last week imposed a penalty of approximately $1.3 million for noncompliance with Online Safety Act regulations, the BBC is reporting.

FSC: Federal Report Confirms Unfair Banking Discrimination Against Adult Industry

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) today announced that a federal report on debanking has concluded that several U.S. banks engaged in discriminatory banking practices against members of the adult industry.

Show More