Arizona high court to hear Mesa tattoo parlor case
18.05.12
The court will hear oral arguments on March 27 in the case in which a lower court ruled that cities can no longer use long-established regulations to block where certain types of businesses can locate.
Mesa asked the court to hear the case after a three-judge panel of the Arizona Court of Appeals ruled that tattoo parlors are entitled to the same First Amendment protections as the artwork they produce.
City officials said the ruling was much broader than a single tattoo shop and could change the ability of cities across the state to enforce some zoning rules.
In 2009, Mesa turned down a request from Angel Tattoo after Dobson Ranch residents said the tattoo parlor was incompatible with the area.
Mesa Councilman Dennis Kavanaugh represents the Dobson Ranch area and said his background as an attorney led him to expect the Supreme Court would take the case. Kavanaugh said courts across the nation had ruled in the opposite direction of the appellate court's decision and that ruling would bring substantial changes if left unchallenged.
Source: NECN