Posted on 05/12/2005 7:50:48 AM PDT by Dan from Michigan
Appeals court upholds TV producer's indecent exposure conviction
5/12/2005, 5:35 a.m. ET
The Associated Press
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The Michigan Court of Appeals upheld the indecent exposure conviction of the producer and host of a comedy show on Grand Rapids' public access cable channel.
Timothy Huffman, 47, was convicted of misdemeanor indecent exposure in Kent County in January 2003. He was charged after a viewer complained about a sketch that aired April 7, 2000 on "Tim's Area of Control" on the GRTV channel.
The three-minute segment consisted of a full-screen close-up of a man's genitals displayed in front of a drape that covered the rest of his body. A face was drawn on the organ and a gruff voice told jokes as though it was speaking.
Huffman was sentenced to one day in jail and a year's probation, and was ordered to pay $1,035 in fines and court costs. The American Civil Liberties Union and two national television advocacy groups helped Huffman appeal his conviction, arguing it violated his free-speech rights.
But in an opinion released Wednesday, the appeals court said any "incidental restriction" on the First Amendment is "no greater than is essential to the furtherance of the governmental interest in promoting public morality by prohibiting public nudity."
Huffman, an unemployed musician-cook and father of five, said Wednesday that "a relentless prosecutor" had targeted him because he has a criminal record and lacked the resources to defend himself.
"We asked them in court, `Why don't you prosecute "Schindler's List?" It has nudity,'" Huffman told the Detroit Free Press for a story Thursday. "And they said to me — `You're no Steven Spielberg.'"
He said he would seek an appeal to the Michigan Supreme Court.
Huffman said he continues to produce "Tim's Area of Control" and one other two-hour program that airs early on Saturday mornings. He said he mostly sticks to music and adult humor.
I understand the DVD is going to have an extended version.
And a special "Director's Cut" will be available for Hannukah.
Not a lot of jobs out there for a musician-cook? Do you bake musicians, or barbecue them?
A public access show had a viewer? Now THAT's news!
Stolen from "Kentucky Fried Movie" I think
D*ck jokes will get this producer nowhere in life except locked up.
If it is legal for public access (note, not pubic access), then he should be able to do the same routine on any street corner, right?
The ACLU stood up for this, would they also defend a man who yells "fire" in a crowded theater?
“The rabbi gets the fees, but the mohel gets the tips.”
DANG, Ski, You beat me to in on the "Director's Cut" line. I was thinking Hannukah and all, too. LOL. Oh NO...I think like Ski. HELP!
Relax and let the change complete itself. There is nothing to fear. LOL
LOL. Relax? I NEVER trust mad scientists, so you better give me a few Straubs so that I don't pull the wires out prior to Ski-vert completion.
uh oh.
Just don't look into his eyes.
The Groove Tube
You beat me to it. I actually went to see that movie when I was in college. I was with a guy I barely knew (had no idea what the movie was about) and was sooooo embarrassed when I realized what was *talking*! That's all I remember about it.
I think the Hodaddy thing that Bob Denver did in that beach blanket movie was way funnier.
susie
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