August 27th, 2024 § Comments Off on Tarot Reader Sues Pennsylvania Burough § permalink
Apparently, it’s illegal to be paid to read Tarot cards in Pennsylvania.
Beck Lawrence, professional Tarot reader and owner of the Serpent’s Key, in Hanover, Pennsylvania, discovered this fact when the police visited the shop last October and warned Lawrence that they were breaking the law and could be charged in the future.
The law in question is from back in 1861, and states, in part … “A person is guilty of a misdemeanor of the third degree if he pretends for gain or lucre, to tell fortunes or predict future events, by cards, tokens, the inspection of the head or hands of any person, or by the age of anyone, or by consulting the movements of the heavenly bodies, or in any other manner ….” It goes on. You can read the full statute here.
The penalty for such an offence is up to a year in prison, or a fine of up to $2,500.
So … last week, after consulting with their attorney (and maybe the cards?), and under the full blue moon, Lawrence filed suit against the Chief of Police of Hanover in his official capacity, and against Hanover Borough.
The lawsuit claims that the statute violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the US Constitution, and the Civil Rights Act of 1871. You can read the lawsuit here.
And check out the video interview below with Beck Lawrence from WGALTV.
We’ll be keeping an eye out for how this goes. I wish Lawrence well.
June 15th, 2024 § Comments Off on Norfolk, Virginia Repeals ‘Psychic’ Ban § permalink
According to The Virginian-Pilot, this past Tuesday, Virginia’s Norfolk City Council repealed a more than century old law banning ‘“the practice of palmistry, palm reading, phrenology or clairvoyance” for money or other compensation in the city.’
The ban had been in place since 1915 in Norfolk, and in Norfolk County since 1956. Penalties for violators had included possible fines of up to $500 and up to six months in prison.
The City Council voted 7-1 to repeal the ban, which had apparently not been enforced in at least four decades.
Assuming, of course, the readers in the area aren’t doing anything shady … Good News!
It looks like the City of Paso Robles, California is about to make some changes to its ‘fortune-telling’ laws.
Since the late 50s, if you wanted to open a Tarot reading business or psychic shop in Paso Robles, you’d have to do it along one particular street in town.
Recently, however, City Council has begun the process of changing the rules so that psychic businesses can set up shop in other areas of the city, including the downtown area.
Though the changes haven’t yet been made official, according to newtimesslo.com, Council will be meeting in the new year and it looks promising.
As of last week, ‘fortune-telling’ is officially legal in Frederick, Maryland.
According to fredericknewspost.com, though psychic readers have been working in Frederick for some time now, the practice was technically illegal. The fine for violation was only $25, and no one was enforcing the law, but still, giving psychic readings (including Tarot) was a crime.
But not anymore … on Thursday last week, the city’s Board of Aldermen voted unanimously to repeal the ban.
Detroit is getting a brand new $450 million arena for the Detroit Red Wings hockey team to call home. Not only do plans by Olympia Development of Michigan include the arena itself, but what type of development can grow around it.
According to detroitnews.com, Olympia Development of Michigan’s new arena district will be based on a ‘deconstructred’ design, meaning that it will include separate buildings within a 45-block area surrounding the venue, as well as the venue itself.
Of those buildings to be controlled by Olympia, certain restrictions will be in place. Authorized development will include dry cleaning businesses, brewpubs, health clubs, professional or medical offices, restaurants, hotels, retail businesses, exhibition halls, and residences.
What won’t be allowed are warehouses, pawn shops, bail bondsman services, businesses that involve firearms or hazardous materials, rehab clinics, topless bars, and what interests me … psychic or tarot reading businesses.
I wonder when the brawling sport of hockey got so high-end, and when private companies (in this case, heavily subsidized by taxpayers) started getting the right to determine where other businesses are allowed to operate or not.
As I posted a few weeks back, the town of Front Royal, Virginia has been considering the repeal of an old law banning ‘fortune-telling’ in its city limits.
A. It shall be unlawful for any company of gypsies or other strolling company or person to receive compensation or reward for pretending to tell fortunes or to practice any so-called “magic art.”
B. Every person violating this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and fined not less than five hundred dollars ($500.) or confined in jail not less than one (1) nor more than six (6) months, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
Last week, after considerable debate, Town Council voted 4-2 in favour of repealing Code 110-17, making ‘fortune-telling’ officially legal in Front Royal.
But there’s still discussion to be had regarding potential license fees and/or other regulations.
Presently, Code 98-42 maintains that fortunetellers, clairvoyants, phrenologists, spirit mediums, astrologists, hypnotists, and palmists must pay a non-transferable $400 license tax to do business in Front Royal.
This Code is under review and a decision regarding license fees and/or other regulations will likely be made by the end of September. I’ll let you know what happens as I hear more.
In a 4-3 vote last week, the Town Council of Front Royal, Virginia, passed a motion to repeal Code 110-17, a fortune-telling ban that specifically targets ‘gypsies or other strolling company or person….”
The code itself states,
A. It shall be unlawful for any company of gypsies or other strolling company or person to receive compensation or reward for pretending to tell fortunes or to practice any so-called “magic art.”
B. Every person violating this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and fined not less than five hundred dollars ($500.) or confined in jail not less than one (1) nor more than six (6) months, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
Though it might seem that this ordinance would be unacceptable simply for naming a specific ethnic group, let alone the undefined prohibition on ‘pretend fortunes’ and the practice of ‘magic art’, a number of town folk came out to support it.
I won’t go into all the arguments here, but please take a look at NVDaily.com’s reporting (and comment section) to see how the debate shaped up. Most of it revolved around religious attitudes and some of it is quite ugly.
And to make things even more confusing, Front Royal has another Town Code on the books that details the license fee to be paid by ‘fortune-tellers’ et al.
For every license for a person engaged in business as a fortuneteller, clairvoyant, phrenologist, spirit medium, astrologist, hypnotist or palmist, there shall be paid a license tax of four hundred dollars ($400.) a year. Such license tax shall not be proratable. A license for a fortuneteller, clairvoyant, phrenologist, spirit medium, astrologist, hypnotist or palmist shall not be transferable.
Though the license fee seems a bit high, Code 98-42 makes it clear that once that fee is paid, ‘fortune-telling’ in Front Royal is already legal. If so, the issue surrounding Code 110-17 isn’t so much about ‘fortune-telling’ per se, but rather who’s doing it.
There will be a second hearing on Code 110-17 before any repeal actually takes effect. I’ll let you know how it plays out as I hear more.
It looks like Front Royal, Virginia might be the next city to repeal its ban on fortune telling.
According to nvdaily.com, Tarot reader Maya White Sparks had been reading cards in the back of a shop on Main Street until about a month ago when she was told to stop.
As it turns out, ‘fortunetelling’ and ‘magic art’ are illegal in Front Royal and someone complained.
Tucked between a statute against disturbing religious worship and how to properly discard a refrigerator is Municipal Code 110-17 which states:
A. It shall be unlawful for any company of gypsies or other strolling company or person to receive compensation or reward for pretending to tell fortunes or to practice any so-called “magic art.”
B. Every person violating this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and fined not less than five hundred dollars ($500.) or confined in jail not less than one (1) nor more than six (6) months, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
Claiming that the ordinance is discriminatory and encroaches on her freedom of religion, Sparks brought the issue to Town Manager Steve Burke, and it looks like she’s being heard.
According to Burke, the question of rescinding the code is being examined by the town attorney and will be brought before council for consideration very soon.
Last week, the City Commissioners for Grand Rapids, Michigan did some legislative spring cleaning and removed a few outdated laws from their city statutes.
Included among the newly legal activities are spitting in public, removing bird’s nests from one’s property, being willfully annoying, and ‘fortune-telling’.
It’s a funny list for psychic businesses to be part of, but it’s good news for readers in Grand Rapids.
