We appreciate your support and need your help in facing down this harassment.

Sincerely,

The San Diego Six

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What Started this and why we need your help!

On October 29th officers of the San Diego Police Department's Vice Unit entered the play party that Club X was holding and then issued citations to six individuals.  These six attendees were cited for lewd behavior and/ or nudity in a public space.  These citations are all classified as misdemeanors.

These individuals were detained until the officers wrote out the citations.  The party was immediately ended once the Vice officers started issuing those citations.  The six people cited were all given December arraignment dates.

The Vice Unit officers said that they took these actions because they declared our play party to be a public one and therefore subject to the laws governing public activities.  Specifically, the lewd behavior and nudity laws.  This is very much a surprise to us.

Several years ago Club X researched the California State Penal Codes, the San Diego County, and the City of San Diego Penal Codes to determine the relevant statutes under which we would have to operate.  We also retained the services of a lawyer to insure that our interpretations of the law were correct and that Club X took the necessary steps to operate within the law and protect our members.  Up until the 29th party, we thought that these steps and our understanding of the laws were correct and sufficient.

Club X has been holding these sort of parties for almost a decade now.  We hold them in different locations and at different times of the year.  The October party was actually the third or fourth such party Club X has held 1999 alone.  We have never had this sort of problem with the San Diego Police Department before.

Due to the work of the LeatherFest X staff, we thought we had an excellent relationship with San Diego Vice.  The staff met with Vice officers and explained who were are, what we have done, and what we do.  The Vice officers were supportive and very explicit that our actions were not their concern and that they had no problem with us.  So we were very surprised to see them take the actions they did in raiding the October party.

In the following weeks Club X sought legal assistance in examining what happened and if the Vice Unit has a sufficient case against these individuals.  We have been in constant contact with them to assist them in formulating a correct and effective response to their citations.  To date, 30 December 1999, all but one of the individuals cited have been arraigned and the Prosecutor in each case has decided to move forward with the charges against these individuals.

One of the Six, Crickett, now has a January 20th court date.  On December 27th she was offered the Prosecution's "generous" terms of a $500 fine and multi-year probation if she opted to plead guilty to the Lewd Act charge facing her.  She declined this "offer."  The remaining individuals charged at the October party have since had their pre-trial conference dates set for late February.  We will keep you informed through this site and through email press releases of any and all developments in regard to the six people cited.

The six individuals attacked by the Vice unit's raid are now facing legal bills far in excess of their ability to afford.  It is imperative that they are able to successfully defend themselves against this Police oppression.  They must overcome these charges against them not just for their sake but, for the sake of the leather/ SM/ fetish community in San Diego and the Nation.  For a conviction here could give the Vice unit license to attack more of the leather community in San Diego and that could well spread to other towns and cities.

To help defeat the Vice unit's attack, the San Diego Six (as they have become labeled) have formed a Defense Fund and greatly need your donations to help them pay for their legal defense.  Please go to the Legal Defense Fund  page for more information.

Please send your questions and comments to the following email address:

sdsixfund@yahoo.com

Thank you.
 

This page was last updated on: 03 January 2000