A group of anti-pornography activists were surprised to learn on Friday that their petition calling for a grand jury investigation of two adult retailers had fallen short, after the Salina County Clerk threw out approximately half of the names on the petition.
The Salina Journal reports that only 273 signatures of 598 that were turned in to the county clerk’s office were certifiable — far short of the 476 signatures required to empanel a grand jury.
Incorrect information regarding the voting precincts of the signatories led to the bulk of the names being removed, a technicality that petition organizers referred to as “nitpicky.”
“People are going to be very upset that this is being nitpicked like this,” one petition organizer told the Journal. “We told all the people to sign their name, address and where they’re from, and we would fill in the precinct. We didn’t think that was a big deal.”
Phil Cosby, an organizer of the petition drive who had successfully led a similar effort against the Lion’s Den Adult Superstore in nearby Abilene, said that petitioners in Abilene weren’t required to list their own precinct information — something a local district attorney says will probably be brought up during their defense.
Cosby learned of the petition option for calling grand juries from the right wing Christian group American Family Association (AFA), the same group that recently made headlines by complaining about the Veteran’s Day broadcast of Saving Private Ryan.
The petition was initiated to help bring obscenity charges against Priscilla’s and Behind Closed Doors for selling adult novelties.
Mike Zrubek, owner of Behind Closed Doors, isn’t worried about the petitioners shutting down his store.
“All the attention they have given me has actually been good for business,” Zrubek told the Journal. “And if I’m found guilty by a grand jury, I don’t sell that many of the toys that they are going after. There’s no way they can shut me down.”
