Laserfiche WebLink
?. <br />CITY OF NORTH OLMSTED <br />ORDINANCE NO. 2002 -135 <br />BY: The Mayor and Entire Council <br />AN ORDINANCE REPEALING SECTION 533.05 OF THE <br />GENERAL OFFENSES CODE OF THE CITY OF NORTH <br />OLMSTED, ENTITLED "IMPORTUNING," AND DECLARING AN <br />EMERGENCY. <br />WHEREAS, Section 533.05 of the General Offenses Code presently prohibits <br />"Importuning," which is defined as soliciting "a person of the same sex to engage in <br />sexual activity with the offender, when the offender knows such solicitation is offensive <br />to the other person, or is reckless in that regard"; and <br />WHEREAS, the Ohio Supreme Court, in the case entitled State of Ohio v. <br />Thompson (2002), 95 Ohio St. 3d 264, declared those portions of Ohio Revised Code <br />Section 2907.07, the State statute which, like N.O. Cod. Section 533.05, prohibits <br />individuals from offensively soliciting persons of the same sex to engage in sexual <br />activity, unconstitutional as a facially invalid content-based restriction on speech, which <br />by extension also violates the state and federal guarantees to equal protection under the <br />laws; and <br />WHEREAS, it is the recommendation of the Director of Law that Section 533.05 <br />of the General Offenses Code be repealed, in light of the decision of the Ohio Supreme <br />Court in State v. Thompson; <br />NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE <br />CITY OF NORTH OLMSTED, CUYAHOGA COUNTY, AND 5TATE OF OHIO: <br />SECTION 1: That Section 533.05 of the General Offenses Code of the City of <br />North Olmsted, entitled "Importuning," be and the same hereby is repealed. <br />5ECTION 2: That this Ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure <br />immediately necessary for the preservation of the public health, safety and welfare, and <br />for the reason that it is necessary that this Ordinance go into effect immediately so that <br />the directive of the Supreme Court regarding the unconstitutionality of such statutes is <br />complied with immediately and the possibility of enforcement of an unconstitutional <br />ordinance, and possible resulting civil liability, is eliminated, and further provided it <br />receives the affirmative vote of two-thirds of all members of Council, it shall take effect <br />and be in force immediately upon its passage and approval by the Mayor. <br />