BY LAURA GOLDBERG
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The city of Cincinnati has dropped a charge of operating a sexually oriented business without a license against one of two men who manage Larry Flynt's downtown Hustler store.
Deputy City Solicitor Karl Kadon said Friday that the charge against Michael Chiodi was dropped Thursday.
Last month, Mr. Chiodi and Mr. Flynt's brother, Jimmy, were charged with the same violation. Hustler publisher Larry Flynt, who is not involved in day-to-day operations of the store he owns, was not charged.
Mr. Chiodi was among Hustler employees who testified early last month before a Hamilton County grand jury. He and other employees were granted immunity. The grand jury investigation led to separate charges against Jimmy and Larry Flynt stemming from the sale of explicit videos at the store.
Mr. Kadon confirmed that the city dropped its charge against Mr. Chiodi because of the immunity. He said the city had not been aware how broad the grant of immunity was.
H. Louis Sirkin, Jimmy Flynt's attorney, said Mr. Flynt entered a written plea of not guilty Friday at his arraignment on the licensing charge.
The case was assigned to Hamilton County Municipal Judge Nadine Allen. A conference was set for May 26.
The charge is the first test of Cincinnati's laws regulating adult businesses.
City law requires licenses for any business that stocks, sells or displays a significant amount of adult material. The Hustler store does not have a license and likely could not get one because it is not in an area zoned for industrial use, as the law requires. The licensing charge is a first-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in jail. If Jimmy Flynt is convicted, the city could ask that the store be closed or forced to relocate.
