Jackson Free Press

The City Council said at a Feb. 28 appeal hearing that it will decide in five working days if the revocation of licenses for three Jackson businesses will hold.

In early February, the city refused to renew licenses for Centerfolds and Girls of Paradise after police arrested several employees at the local sex businesses owned by Gilbert Paige. Detective Samuel Gardner reported that arrests followed alleged violations of city codes, including totally nude dancing and dancers allowing themselves to be touched by patrons—including one personal description from Mayor Frank Melton that a dancer was accepting money with her genitalia.

"She wasn't collecting for the Red Cross," Melton quipped Monday.

At the hearing, Assistant City Attorney Pieter Teeuwissen said the city should deny the licenses because the owner provided "false and misleading" information about himself on his license applications.

"There were convictions that the owner did not tell us about. That, in itself, is a reason to withhold that license," Teeuwissen said.

The Jackson Free Press could not obtain details on the convictions by press time.

Paige's attorney, Charles Homan, Jr., said the city presented the convictions without notice. "We never heard those charges until the hearing. If they had provided notice of those charges to us prior to the hearing we could've addressed them," Homan said. "What they provided to (my) client was wholly inadequate notice to appeal this thing."

Homan said the businesses should be allowed to operate during the appeal process, warning that if a judge decides the shutdown was unlawful, then the city could face high compensatory damages.

"It makes sense to me, while the investigations are ongoing, not to find them guilty before the trial. That runs against our Constitution," Homan said.

Council President Marshand Crisler was spooked by those potential compensatory damages, which put him at odds with Melton's strong determination to immediately close the clubs.

"If somebody's employee breaks the law, instead of arresting an employee, we shut down a business? Sounds to me like that may be a bit skewed," Crisler said.

"With all due respect, council president, but are you an attorney?" Melton responded. "You need to give it up. You have a law on the books. We're trying to follow that law, and for you to sit there and defend us not following the law is stupid."

After some back and forth, Crisler refused to recognize the mayor.

"First of all, mayor, I did not recognize you. I'm not debating it, so when I recognize you, I'll let you know. OK?" Crisler said.

"So any other colleagues want to talk?"

Melton then stormed out of the meeting. "Y'all got a problem, boys," Melton said. "Y'all are going to have to deal with that."