Three SF Nudists Guilty For Disrobing at Rally

Three nudist activists were found guilty in San Francisco Superior  Court on Tuesday of violating the citywide public nudity ban that went into  effect in February, the trio's attorney said Friday.

Russell Allen, Oxane "Gypsy" Taub and George Davis were arrested  and cited for violating the new law by disrobing at a rally outside City Hall  on Feb. 1, the day the ordinance went into effect.

Defense attorney Christina DiEdoardo sought to have the case  against the three dismissed, arguing that police only had a right to detain  them, not arrest them.

She said people should not be arrested for a simple citation  unless they refuse to sign the citation, cannot establish their identity or  refuse to provide a thumbprint.

However, a traffic court judge on Tuesday afternoon found the trio  guilty and ordered them each to pay a $100 fine and $92 in court fees,  DiEdoardo said.

The attorney said she plans to appeal the judge's decision within  the next 30 days.

The nudist activists have filed a federal lawsuit in an effort to  get the ordinance overturned, with the next hearing tentatively scheduled for  next month, DiEdoardo said.

The nudity ban, authored by Supervisor Scott Wiener, was approved  in a 6-5 vote at the Board of Supervisors in December. It includes certain  exceptions, including for children under the age of 5 and for permitted  events like the Folsom Street Fair and Bay to Breakers.

DiEdoardo alleged that police are only targeting the activists who  have filed the lawsuit while letting other public nudity go unpunished,  including during a naked bike ride that took place in the city over the  weekend for Earth Day.

"The only people who get cited for the ordinance are the  plaintiffs in the lawsuit," she said. "They want to punish people for having  the temerity to challenge Supervisor Wiener."

Wiener had sought the ban, citing complaints from businesses and  residents about a growing number of nudists who frequented Jane Warner Plaza  in the city's Castro District.
   
 

Copyright BAYCN - Bay City News
Contact Us