Yesterday afternoon’s long-anticipated entertainment license hearing for the downtown Springfield shop Amazing.net yielded ample testimony of interest, but no decision yet from Mayor Charles Ryan about what may happen with the store’s license.
ABC40 covered the hearing with a live report outside City Hall, and the Republican gave it a brief report in today’s paper. Dan Crowley’s report for the Daily Hampshire Gazette, “Porn Store’s Viewing Booths Raise Stink in Springfield,” is behind a pay wall.
An anonymous reporter who witnessed the hearing in Room 220 filed a briefing, excerpted below.
Mayor Ryan conducted the hearing, which had many of the formal trappings of a trial: sworn testimony, cross examination, exhibits, witnesses, objections, etc. Attorney Michael Mulcahy represented the city, and a private attorney who was not introduced represented Amazing.net of 486 Bridge Street in Springfield.
At issue was continuation of a six or seven day entertainment license for the video booths. Several earlier hearings had been continued at the request of the defense.
Much of the discussion centered on incidents in October and December of 2006 involving unsanitary conditions in the peep show booths, drug transactions, solicitation by prostitutes in the area, and sexual activity in the booths. Most graphic was discussion of the purpose of the 2″ holes found in walls of seven out of the 16 booths.
Under questioning from Attorney Mulcahy, a police officer said, based on his training and experience, he believes these holes were used to admit, in Mulcahy’s words, “the male member” for sexual contact with someone in the adjoining booth. Apparently it is not uncommon for patrons of such places to drill these holes themselves using cordless drills.
Revolting and unsanitary conditions observed by police officers and sanitarian Steve Stathis of the Health Department included the strong smell of “bodily fluids,” “seminal fluid” and stains on walls as well as TV screens, and discarded tissues, napkins and paper towels strewn around in booths. While booths were described as small even for one person, two or even three people were observed crowding into one during visits by police.
The defense didn’t contest these facts and sought to show that, having learned of the problems, they had on the advice of their attorney made a number of changes. These included dismissal of the manager in charge in October and December of 2006; demotion of a “district manager” at the time to assistant manager of a store in Pittsfield; installation of video surveillance cameras; removing 18″ from the bottom of booth doors; reduction in the number of booths; maintenance upgrades; installation of trash cans in booths (!!); and placement of sheet metal plates on walls to prevent drilling or uncovering of the 2" holes.
Mayor Ryan said little and was meticulous about numbering exhibits and making sure he understood presentations. The defense attorney seemed, at first, to be a little condescending to the mayor. At one point, trying to describe the spatial relationship between the manager’s desk and the surveillance video screens, the lawyer said, “If Mayor Ryan were to come in the door [of 486 Bridge Street]?” only to hear a smiling mayor say quietly, ” I wouldn’t go in there.” Persisting, the lawyer continued: “Well, Mr. Mulcahy then?” only to have the mayor, still pleasant, interject, “He wouldn’t go there either.”
Erica Walch was a very good witness and described how she and other women, while walking in the Apremont Triangle area, have had cars stop next to them and ask “Are you working?” which they took to mean that the drivers had mistaken them for prostitutes.
