Adult retailer John Cornetta has won the latest round in the battle over his new 10,000 square-foot Love Shack emporium.
“They [Fulton County authorities] were going to arrest me this morning and padlock the doors,” Cornetta told AVN.com. “But the state Superior Court judge sided with me. Anybody who knows me knows that when it comes to censorship and First Amendment rights, I love a fight."
Cornetta opened the Love Shack on Nov. 29, despite the county’s refusal to grant him a business license. “There’s a law that gives you 30 days in which to apply for a license, so we’re in compliance with the law,” he explained. “I’ve also made sure that only 17 percent of my retail space was [devoted to] adult material – magazines, videos, toys. But they still refused to give me a license.”
The county plans to prosecute Cornetta in federal court, while the city of Johns Creek has indicated it will also take action to shut down the store. “I’m expecting another round of motions,” Cornetta remarked. “Johns Creek was just recently declared a city [on Dec. 1], and they still haven’t established all the rules. If I can prove that the store has been open prior to the establishment of the city, I might get grandfathered in.”
Cornetta notes that public reaction has been overwhelmingly in favor of the store – and business is brisk.
“We have a million dollars in inventory in this store, and a half-million in build-out,” he said. “It’s the largest store of its kind in Georgia. I’ve been all over the country to many different adult stores, and a lot of them are really impressive, but this one is the nicest I’ve seen.”
