Secondary Effects Doctrine
City of Erie v. Pap’s A.M. (2000) used the secondary effects doctrine to
uphold a public nudity ban, saying the ban did not violate the First
Amendment.
City of Los Angeles v. Alameda Books (2002) ruled that cities could rely on
studies showing the crime impact of adult businesses to zone them without
violating the First Amendment.
City of Renton v. Playtime Theaters (1986) said that zoning laws aimed at
undesirable secondary effects of sexually oriented businesses may not
violate the First Amendment.
In 1976, the Supreme Court introduced the secondary effects doctrine in
upholding zoning of adult businesses in Detroit. In Young v. American Mini
Theaters, the Court found that the laws were aimed at limiting crime and
low property values, and were not aimed at limiting speech.
