Lady Ann's Oddities, Inc. v. MacY

519 F. Supp. 1140, 1981 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15328
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Oklahoma
DecidedJuly 23, 1981
DocketCIV-81-500-BT, CIV-81-501-BT and CIV-81-504-BT
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 519 F. Supp. 1140 (Lady Ann's Oddities, Inc. v. MacY) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lady Ann's Oddities, Inc. v. MacY, 519 F. Supp. 1140, 1981 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15328 (W.D. Okla. 1981).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

BRETT, District Judge.

On April 13, 1981 the Governor of Oklahoma signed into law S.B. 114 which proscribes the use, possession, manufacture or delivery [transfer or sale] of “drug paraphernalia.” The same day, plaintiff Lady Ann’s Oddities, Inc., et al., brought this action for a Temporary Restraining Order enjoining enforcement of the Act and sought a judgment declaring the Act unconstitutional. Shortly thereafter, two identical suits were filed requesting the same relief. By stipulation of the parties, all three cases have been consolidated into the present action. 1

Plaintiff’s request for a Temporary Restraining Order under F.R.Civ.P. 65(b) was effectively denied when the matter was set down for hearing on a preliminary injunction. After a series of hearings both in Oklahoma City (Western District) and Tulsa (Northern District), plaintiffs’ counsel advised their respective clients to reopen their businesses, they having temporarily closed when the Act was signed into law. Lacking the requisite element of irreparable harm, plaintiffs withdrew the Application for Preliminary Injunction. The matter is now at issue and before the Court on plaintiffs’ consolidated request for a declaratory judgment that S.B. 114 is unconstitutional.

*1143 The Act contains essentially four parts: Section 1, defining terms including “drug paraphernalia”; Section 2, enumerating certain “logically relevant factors” that may be considered by a court of law- to determine whether an object is “drug paraphernalia”; Section 3, establishing four substantive offenses and prescribing punishment; and Section 4, detailing objects subject to forfeiture pursuant to a violation of the Act.

The Act is patterned after the so-called Model Act (MDPA) drafted by the Drug Enforcement Administration of the United States Department of Justice. The Model Act in various forms has been the subject of extensive prior litigation. See e. g., Hejira Corporation, d/b/a Budget Records and Tapes, Inc., et al., v. J. D. MacFarlane, et al. (10th Cir. 1981) 660 F.2d 1356; Record Revolution No. 6, Inc. v. City of Parma, 638 F.2d 916 (6th Cir. 1980) (cited hereinafter as “Parma (6th Cir.)”) 2 ; The Casbah, Inc. v. Thone, 651 F.2d 551 (8th Cir., 1981); Back Door Records v. City of Jacksonville, 515 F.Supp. 857 (E.D.Ark., 1981); Nova Records, Inc. v. Sendak, 504 F.Supp. 938 (S.D.Ind.1980); The Town Tobacconist v. Degnan, Superior Court of New Jersey, Chancery Division, March 12, 1981; New England Accessories Trade Association v. Browne, 502 F.Supp. 1245 (D.Conn.1980); New England Accessories Trade Association v. City of Nashua, No. 80-530-D (D.N.H. Dec. 8, 1980); Brache v. County of Westchester, 507 F.Supp. 566 (S.D.N.Y.1981); Lazy J, Ltd. v. Borough of State College, No. 80-1167 (M.D.Pa. Jan. 30,1981); World Imports, Inc. v. Woodbridge Township, 493 F.Supp. 428 (D.N.J.1980); Mid-Atlantic Accessories Trade Assn. v. State of Maryland, 500 F.Supp. 834 (D.Md.1980); Delaware Accessories Trade Assn. v. Gebelein, 497 F.Supp. 289 (D.Del.1980); Florida Business Men for Free Enterprise v. State of Florida, 499 F.Supp. 346 (N.D.Fla.1980); Weiler v. Carpenter, et al., 507 F.Supp. 837 (D.N.M.1981); General Stores, Inc. v. City of Albuquerque, No. 81-0027-M Civil (D.N.M. March 25, 1981); Florida Businessmen for Free Enterprise v. City of Hollywood, No. 80-6157-Civ-NCR (S.D.Fla. Aug. 29, 1980); Tobacco Accessories and Novelty Craftsmen Merchants Association of Louisiana v. Treen, 501 F.Supp. 168 (E.D.La.1980). See also Record Revolution No. 6 v. City of Parma, Ohio, 492 F.Supp. 1157 (N.D.Ohio E.D.1980) (cited hereinafter as “Parma (N.D.Ohio E.D.)”). Moreover, in an apparent effort to overcome the constitutional objections raised by the Court in Parma (6th Cir.), the Oklahoma legislature deleted certain provisions otherwise contained in the Model Act. Furthermore, the legislature added an exclusionary clause not in the Model Act which states as follows: “Provided, however, drug paraphernalia shall not include separation gins intended for use in preparing tea or spice, clamps commonly used for constructing electrical equipment, water pipes designed for ornamentation or pipes designed for smoking tobacco.” See Section 1.

Plaintiffs contend that the statute is vague and overbroad, that it violates the due process clause because it is not rationally related to any legitimate state goal and constitutes an unlawful taking of property, that it is an impermissible restraint upon freedom of speech, and that it violates the equal protection and commerce clauses of the United States Constitution.

I.

The threshold question for the Court is whether the Act presents a case or controversy such that declaratory relief is appropriate. It is settled law that a genuine threat of criminal prosecution under legislation that allegedly is constitutionally defective does present an actual case or controversy. Steffel v. Thompson, 415 U.S. 452, 94 S.Ct. 1209, 39 L.Ed.2d 505 (1974). In the present case, the facts demonstrate that the threat of prosecution of plaintiffs under the Act is not “imaginary”, “speculative” or “chimerical.” Compare Id. Furthermore, two Federal Circuit Courts of *1144 Appeal have held that legislation similar to this statute presents a threat of criminal prosecution sufficient to constitute an actual case or controversy. See Parma (6th Cir.) and High 01’ Times, Inc. v. Busbee, 621 F.2d 135 (5th Cir. 1980). Therefore, this matter constitutes an actual case or controversy such that declaratory relief is appropriate.

II.

Prior to an adjudication of the merits of this case, the Court must determine whether it is more appropriate to refrain from exercising jurisdiction under the abstention doctrine. As articulated in Railroad Commission of Texas v. Pullman Company, 312 U.S. 496, 61 S.Ct. 643, 85 L.Ed. 971 (1941), the abstention doctrine “counsels abstention in narrowly limited special circumstances where the challenged state statute is susceptible of a construction by the state judiciary that would avoid or modify the necessity of reaching a federal constitutional question.” Babbitt v. United Farm Workers National Union, 442 U.S. 289, 99 S.Ct. 2301, 60 L.Ed.2d 895 (1979) quoting Kusper v. Pontikes, 414 U.S. 51, 94 S.Ct. 303, 38 L.Ed.2d 260 (1973). Three United States Courts of Appeal have concluded that the Pullman doctrine should not be invoked with respect to legislation similar to S.B. 114. See The Casbah, Inc. v. Thone, supra; Parma (6th Cir.) and High 01’ Times, Inc. v. Busbee, supra.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Bardney v. United States
959 F. Supp. 515 (N.D. Illinois, 1997)
Russell v. State
1988 OK CR 248 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1988)
The TOWN TOBACCONIST v. Kimmelman
453 A.2d 209 (New Jersey Superior Court App Division, 1982)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
519 F. Supp. 1140, 1981 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15328, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lady-anns-oddities-inc-v-macy-okwd-1981.