Mitchell v. Commission on Adult Entertainment Establishments of Delaware

764 F. Supp. 928, 1991 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7132, 1991 WL 87316
CourtDistrict Court, D. Delaware
DecidedMay 17, 1991
DocketCiv. A. No. 85-735 MMS
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 764 F. Supp. 928 (Mitchell v. Commission on Adult Entertainment Establishments of Delaware) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Delaware primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mitchell v. Commission on Adult Entertainment Establishments of Delaware, 764 F. Supp. 928, 1991 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7132, 1991 WL 87316 (D. Del. 1991).

Opinion

OPINION

MURRAY M. SCHWARTZ, Senior District Judge.

Plaintiffs filed for summary judgment on the issues which remain in this case after several years of litigation. At the request of the court, defendants have filed a cross-motion for summary judgment so that all remaining legal issues may be finally resolved. By a Memorandum Opinion and Order dated January 3, 1991, the court granted plaintiffs’ summary judgment motion in part and held the remainder of the summary judgment motions in abeyance pending supplementation of the record. The summary judgment record has been supplemented. For the reasons which follow, the remainder of plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment will be granted in part and denied in part.

STANDARD FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56(c) provides that summary judgment “shall be rendered forthwith if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.”

Absent a genuine issue of material fact, summary judgment will be entered [930]*930“against a party who failed to make a showing sufficient to establish the existence of an element essential to that party’s case, and on which that party will bear the burden of proof at trial.” Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 2552, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). The same burdens exist on cross-motions for summary judgment. Peters Tp. School Dist. v. Hartford Ace. & Indem., 833 F.2d 32, 34 (3d Cir.1987).

The “very mission” of summary judgment is “to pierce the pleadings and to assess the proof in order to see whether there is a genuine need for trial.” Fed.R. Civ.P. 56 advisory committee note to the 1963 Amendment. If wisely applied, the summary judgment procedure will eliminate useless trials. 6 J. Moore, W. Taggart & J. Wicker, Moore’s Federal Practice § 56.02[1] (1988). However, summary judgment is not a substitute for trial and should not be used as a shortcut to avoid trial when a genuine issue of material fact remains in dispute.

As the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit has noted, “[statutory construction is a question of law ... and such questions ... are ‘peculiarly appropriate for independent judicial assessment.’ ” Dunat v. Hurney, 297 F.2d 744, 746 (3d Cir.1961) (citations omitted) (quoting O’Leary v. Brown-Pacific-Maxon, Inc., 340 U.S. 504, 508, 71 S.Ct. 470, 472, 95 L.Ed. 483 (1951)). Accordingly, statutory construction is a proper subject for summary judgment. See generally Americans Disabled for Accessible Public Transportation v. Skinner, 881 F.2d 1184, 1191 n. 6 (3d Cir.1989); Drayton v. United States, 801 F.2d 117, 123 (3d Cir.1986), cert. denied, 481 U.S. 1037, 107 S.Ct. 1972, 95 L.Ed.2d 813 (1987).

BACKGROUND

The facts of this case are essentially undisputed. Plaintiffs in this case are Bob’s Discount Adult Books, Inc. (referred to variously hereinafter as “Bob’s Books”, “Adult Books”, and “Bob’s”) and its principal Francis R. Mitchell. Bob’s Books is a Delaware corporation which owns and operates an establishment selling “books, magazines, films and other sundries of an adult nature and [formerly providing] adult entertainment in the form of film, video and live presentations by means of coin-operated machines.” Complaint at ¶ 6 (Docket No. 1). Prior to December 3, 1985, Bob’s Books was licensed to rent and sell adult books and videos and to operate booths offering live adult entertainment pursuant to the licensing provisions of 24 Del.C. §§ 1601-29.

On May 29, 1985 Patricia Ann Toulson and Rhonda Gail Jones, two independent contractors engaged by Bob’s Books to provide live entertainment, were arrested on the premises of Bob’s Books and charged with conspiracy to commit prostitution. On June 11, 1985 Toulson pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to a term of six months probation. On December 3, 1985 the Delaware Commission on Adult Entertainment Establishments (hereinafter the “Commission”) revoked, pursuant to 24 Del.C. § 1617, the license of Bob’s Books to maintain twelve coin-operated booths for the presentation of sexually-oriented live entertainment. The Commission did not revoke the license to sell and rent adult books and videos. The Commission also imposed a $10,000 fine on plaintiffs.

On December 11, 1985 Bob’s Books and Francis R. Mitchell sought injunctive relief against the Commission in this court, alleging that Delaware’s Adult Entertainment Establishments Act, 24 Del.C. §§ 1601-29 (1987 Repl.), in general, and section 1617 in particular, as written and applied are unconstitutional restraints on speech and speech-related conduct. Holding that plaintiffs were unlikely to succeed on the merits, this court denied plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction on July 3, 1986. Mitchell v. Commission on Adult Entertainment Establishments of the State of Delaware, C.A. No. 85-735 MMS (D.Del. July 3, 1986), aff'd, 810 F.2d 1164 (3d Cir.1987).

On October 2, 1987 plaintiffs filed a motion for summary judgment. The Commission filed a cross-motion for summary judgment. This court denied plaintiffs’ motion and granted partial summary judgment in [931]*931favor of the Commission on April 14, 1988. Mitchell v. Commission on Adult Entertainment Establishments of Delaware, C.A. No. 85-735 MMS (D.Del. Apr. 14, 1988). In the summary judgment opinion, the court upheld the constitutionality of 24 Del.C. § 1617 (revocation of the permit), but failed to address squarely the constitutionality of the licensing scheme, 24 Del.C. §§ 1601-29, as a whole.

On October 13, 1987, Bob’s Books applied for a new license. The Commission held a hearing on November 10, 1987, and has since taken no action regarding the application. On November 8, 1989, the court granted plaintiffs’ motion to supplement their complaint to add claims related to the Commission’s inaction following the November 10, 1987 hearing on the application for a new license.1 Plaintiffs filed a supplemental complaint on November 17, 1989. Dkt. 67.

Plaintiffs have moved for summary judgment on the remainder of their claims. In their summary judgment motion, plaintiffs seek a declaratory judgment that the Act is unconstitutional under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution and injunctive relief prohibiting defendants from enforcing the Act against them.

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764 F. Supp. 928, 1991 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7132, 1991 WL 87316, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mitchell-v-commission-on-adult-entertainment-establishments-of-delaware-ded-1991.