I cannot imagine any of the readers here being unfamiliar with this case, but I did not cover it as well as I should have, largely because it was such a lengthy and pointless trial.
Gordon Lee faced malicious prosecution by an overzealous prosecuting DA (Leigh Patterson) in Rome, GA, for distributing illicit material to a minor. The DA filed a slew of felony and misdemeanor charges against comic shop owner, Gordon Lee, stemming from his disbursement of Alternative Comics #2 on Free Comic Book Day in 2004 - yes, 2004! - to an alleged minor. The CBLDF (Comic Book Legal Defense Fund) took on Lee's case in February, 2005.
The case saw many twists and turns and Prosecuting DA, Leigh Patterson (whom one must assume is a Baptist), pulled every low-down, dirty trick in the book to attempt to persuade, manipulate, and outright deceive the jury into finding against Mr. Lee. The judge eventually declared a mistrial stemming mainly from prosecuting attorneys' gross and continual misconduct. Following this, DA Patterson made it known that he would pursue the case yet again!
Eventually, even the goodwives and burghers of Rome, GA started questioning the DA's motives, as well as the cost of the trial(s) to taxpayers. This being an election year, DA Leigh Patterson eventually dropped the charges, so long as Gordon Lee made a written apology to the hillbilly child he gave the comic book to, as well as his rednecked parents. While Mr. Lee wrote and delivered the note weeks go, DA Leigh Patterson did not drop the charges until April 20th, 2008, as no one who could read the writey-page was immediately available, even though all parties conceded it shore wuz some purty writin'.
Sadly, Mr. Lee faced similar charges years before for distributing adult materials to... an adult. Now, I'm a huge supporter of the 1st Amendment and an opponent of censorship in any form, but I think Gordon Lee should wise-up here and move the hell out of town before he done gets runned-off by them townfolk with pitchy-forks who don't won't no smarty-fellers in their town.
Interesting factoid: the comic book at the center of this case depicted a nude rendering of Pablo Picasso, though it did not connote any sexual situation(s).
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
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