MINDEN, Louisiana — Nine individuals and two companies are accused of violating the state’s obscenity law in indictments handed up Monday by a Webster Parish grand jury, which for the past few months has been investigating various allegations aimed at an adult video store in Dubberly.
The identities of the individuals and the corporate names are not yet being made public, however, as authorities wrap up an investigation that started in January and targeted La. Video Inc. Bossier-Webster District Attorney Schuyler Marvin expects the indictments to be unsealed within a week to 10 days.
“We’re still gathering information from employees and ex-employees,” Marvin said.
Seven of the indictments resulted from Monday’s special grand jury session. The panel had previously returned four true bills.
Marvin could not discuss specifics of the grand jury investigation. But last month, officers from Marvin’s office, the Webster Parish sheriff’s office and Louisiana state police raided La. Video, Inc. and seized hundreds of samples of items found in the store, such as DVDs, magazines and adult toys, with plans to submit the material to the grand jury for review.
While not all of the store’s pornographic offerings would be considered obscene, La. Video Inc. also was being investigated because of activities related to enclosed rooms located in the rear of the building.
Shirley M. Garrity is listed as director of the store, according to information available on the Louisiana secretary of state’s corporate database.
A person answering the telephone at La. Video Inc. on Monday afternoon who identified himself as the assistant manager said he could not comment. He offered to refer the request for comment to the manager or owner, but a response was not immediately received.
Ken Shelton, who lives about a mile from the business, was relieved to learn of Monday’s grand jury decision.
“I’m very pleased they’ve taken this action and I’m pleased something is finally being done on it. It might not shut the place down, but we’re elated that somebody is taking notice besides us who live out here next to it,” Shelton said.
La. Video Inc., located in a former Stuckey’s restaurant building at the state Highway 532 exit off Interstate 20, opened just over four years ago much to the displeasure of Shelton and his neighbors.
They signed petitions and protested, only to be told by Webster governing officials that nothing could be done to close the doors.
Owners of similar adult video stores in Lincoln and Richland parishes in recent years have been accused of violating the state’s obscenity law. Both stores have since closed.
Marvin is keeping an eye on another case in St. Martinville, where a store owner who is accused of pornography is challenging the law by asserting his First Amendment right. At issue in the debate is a challenge to the community standards guideline, which is the gauge in the state’s law that determines if material is obscene.
The owner of the St. Martinville store is seeking to have his criminal charges dropped by declaring the community standards test vague since the state law does not define a specific geographic area for which the obscenity standards should apply.
Marvin points out that the randomly selected 12-member grand jury represents a cross section of Webster Parish, thus the law should apply to the parish’s standards, and not what is acceptable in other parishes such as St. Martin Parish.
“I’m not worried about it,” Marvin said of the south Louisiana court battle.
The state’s obscenity law has been upheld in previous challenges.
Attorneys representing La. Video, Inc. already have met with Marvin in an attempt to resolve allegations aimed at the store.
“None of their suggestions were acceptable, but we listened to them,” Marvin said.
Meanwhile, the Webster Parish Police Jury within the next month or two should consider enacting a law that would regulate future sexually oriented businesses.
Though the Police Jury cannot outlaw the businesses, it can set restrictions on such things as location and hours of operation.