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A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 19 July 2024
Federal appeals court dismisses lawsuit over Tennessee’s anti-

drag show ban

By KIMBERLEE KRUESI ‘are definitely appropriate’
Associated Press for a 15- year-old and would
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A ‘absolutely’ have artistic val-
federal appeals court on ue for a 17-year-old,” the rul-
Thursday dismissed a lawsuit ing stated.
challenging first-in-the-na- Friends of George’s did not
tion law designed to place immediately respond to an
strict limits on drag shows, re- email seeking comment on
versing a lower court ruling the ruling.
that deemed the statute un- Questions over how Tennes-
constitutional and blocked see’s anti-drag ban should
its enforcement in part of be enforced have constant-
the state. ly been debated since the
The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of law’s inception. Democrats,
Appeals ruled that the Mem- who hold only a sliver of
phis-based LGBTQ+ theater power in Tennessee, were
company that filed the quick to argue that the law
complaint last year lacked was too vague and could
the legal right to sue over be used by a prosecutor to
the law. target the LGBTQ+ commu-
Friends of George’s had al- nity.
leged that the law would While a federal judge last
negatively affect them be- June sided with Friends of
cause they produce “drag- Pageant winners throw out beads during the Memphis PRIDE Festival & Parade, June 4, 2022, in George’s that the law was
centric performances, com- Memphis, Tenn. “substantially overbroad”
edy sketches, and plays” Associated Press and encouraged “discrimi-
with no age restrictions. as reasons why it was neces- to strippers or topless danc- met in order to prosecute. natory enforcement,” the
However, the federal ap- sary to restrict such perfor- ers. The ruling also pointed out ruling only applied to Shelby
peals court found that mances from taking place The law banned adult caba- that the Tennessee Supreme County, where Memphis lies.
Friends of George’s was in public or where children ret performances on public Court limited the definition Shortly after, a district attor-
not at risk of violating the could view them. property or anywhere minors of “harmful to a minor” to ney warned Pride organizers
2023 law because its perfor- Yet the actual word “drag” might be present. Perform- materials lacking “serious in eastern Tennessee that he
mances were not “harmful doesn’t appear in the stat- ers who break the law risk literary, artistic, political, or planned on enforcing the
to minors.” ute. Instead, lawmakers being charged with a mis- scientific value for a reason- anti-drag ban during their
Tennessee’s Republican- changed the state’s defi- demeanor or a felony for a able 17-year-old minor.” annual festival, prompting
dominated Legislature nition of adult cabaret to repeat offense. “FOG has not alleged that organizers in Blount County
advanced the anti-drag mean “adult-oriented per- In Thursday’s ruling, the its performances lack seri- to sue. A federal judge even-
law last year with the sup- formances that are harm- justices stressed that term ous value for a 17-year-old. tually granted a temporary
port of Republican Gov. Bill ful to minors.” Furthermore, “harmful to minors” has a In fact, it insists the exact restraining order preventing
Lee. Several GOP members “male or female imperson- specific definition under Ten- opposite. Its own witness, law enforcement and the
pointed to drag perfor- ators” were classified as a nessee law which has three a member of FOG’s board, district attorney from the
mances in their hometowns form of adult cabaret, akin components that must be conceded that its shows enforcing the state law. q

Missouri high court clears the way for a woman’s release after 43

years in prison

day for a Missouri woman eral Andrew Bailey took his asking that a judge “hold according to her legal
whose murder conviction fight to keep her locked up an emergency status con- team at the Innocence
was overturned to be freed to the state’s highest court, ference at the earliest Project. “This Court finds
after 43 years in prison. but her attorneys argued possible time” and order that the totality of the evi-
A circuit court judge that keeping her incarcer- Hemme’s release. dence supports a finding of
ruled last month that San- ated any longer would be Hemme’s lawyers, in an actual innocence,” Circuit
dra Hemme’s attorneys a “draconian outcome.” emailed statement to The Court Judge Ryan Hors-
showed evidence of her Her release appears im- Associated Press, said her man concluded after an
“actual innocence,” and minent, however, now family “is eager and ready extensive review. Horsman
an appeals court ruled she that the Missouri Supreme to reunite with her, and noted that Hemme was
should be freed while her Court has refused to undo the Department of Correc- heavily sedated and in a
case is reviewed. the lower court rulings al- tions should respect and “malleable mental state”
This undated booking photo But Hemme’s immediate lowing her to be released promptly” release her. when investigators repeat-
provided by the Missouri freedom has been compli- on her own recognizance Hemme, now 64, had been edly questioned her in a
Department of Corrections cated by lengthy sentenc- and placed in the custody serving a life sentence at a psychiatric hospital. Her at-
shows Sandra Hemme. es she received for crimes of her sister and brother-in- prison northeast of Kansas torneys described her ulti-
Associated Press she committed while be- law in the Missouri town of City after she was twice mate confession as “often
By HEATHER HOLLING- hind bars a total of 12 Higginsville. convicted of murder in the monosyllabic responses to
SWORTH years, which were piled on No details have been re- death of library worker Pa- leading questions.” Other
Associated Press top of the life sentence she leased on when Hemme tricia Jeschke. than this confession, no
CHILLICOTHE, Mo. (AP) — received for her murder will be freed. One of her She’s been the longest- evidence linked her to the
The Missouri Supreme Court conviction. attorneys, Sean O’Brien, held wrongly incarcerated crime, her trial prosecutor
cleared the way Thurs- Republican Attorney Gen- filed a motion Thursday woman known in the U.S., said.q