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<br />./ <br /> <br />Mar, i, 2001 3:23PM <br />llJlP..NAAD E. S'T!rfEN <br />RICHAlID ^' MEP.!UU <br />DARREU. A. JENSSN <br />JEml,!'\' S, JOHNSON <br />RUSSEll Ii CROWDER <br />JON P. E!UCKSON <br />LAWR5NCS R. JOHNsoN <br />THOMAS P. MAt.ONE <br />MICHAel.. p. HVRLFi <br />lml.MA}J:r... TAU.5 <br />CHARLES M. SP.nORA <br />DANLEL O. OAl'Ji'ER, JR. <br />BMl1.t.Y K. OODCJE <br /> <br />No3i94 p, 2 <br /> <br />BGS <br /> <br />JAMES p. HOEFT <br />JOAN M. QUAPE <br />SCOTT M. LEPAK <br />STEVEN G. !'HORSON <br />ELlZABITH A. SOlADINO <br />WlLLLAM F. HUEFNER <br />BRPnm A. tLErSCHER <br />M!\.l.COl.M P. TERRY <br />KRlSTlll.. FJLBY <br />~YI..A,. JORGeNSEN <br />WILLIAM D. SIECEL <br />TOD)) J. .ANVllJ;: <br /> <br />Of ColWfl <br />ROBER1 A. OOZY <br /> <br />Barna, Guzy & Steffen, Ltd. <br />AIT01l..NEYS AT J..A.W <br />400 N orthtQWfi Financial Plaza <br />200 Coon Rapids Boulevard <br />Minneapolis, MN 55433-5894 <br /> <br />(763) 780~8500 FAX: (763) 780-1777 <br />Writet's Direct Line: (763) 783~5122 <br />Internet E-Mail Address: jhoeft@bgslaw.cQm <br /> <br />March 7, 2001 <br /> <br />Gary Peterson <br />14934 Bluebird Street NW <br />Andover, MN 55304 <br /> <br />RE: City ofCenterville ~ Waterworks Teen Night <br /> <br />Dear Mr. Peterson: <br /> <br />The Mayor has requested that I contact you directly regarding the above-referenced matter. I <br />want you to know that the Mayor's initial request for me to contact you came approximately two <br />weeks ago, but with ID)' being on vacation and then being ill after I came back from vacation, <br />fuis is the first Opportll.rut)' I have had to further review the matter and forward my comments to <br />you. <br /> <br />As the Ivfayor indicated in previous e-mail correspondence to you, it is both the opinion of the <br />Police Chief and myself that no laws were broken during the incident you describe. It is not a <br />violation of the statute covering contribution to the delinquency of a minor for the following <br />reasons: (1) The music being played is protected under the F itst Amendment free speech right. <br />Your son, if he so desired, could go to any record store and purchase a CD with those same lyrics <br />or worse. (2) The way in which the teens were dancing is also protected under the First <br />Amendment free speech right. <br /> <br />While I may agree with you that the lyrics you heard and the dancing you witnessed are not <br />things I would want my teen participating in, they are nevertheless legal activities and therefore <br />the Waterworks would not be in violation of ally statute for providing a location for which teens <br />can participate in legal activities. <br /> <br />Please do not confuse "legal" with "desirable", My analysis regarding this matter is strictly a <br />legal one. 'Whether or not this 'type of behavior and the music is appropriate for teens is a larger <br />societal iSS\le and is simply not able to be addressed by the legal system. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Art ECltJa.l Opportunity Empl~r-r <br />