After 17 Years, Strip Club’s Legal Fight for Broadview Site Fizzles
After 17 Years, Strip Club’s Legal Fight for Broadview Site Fizzles (Chicago, IL) — Chicago Joe’s Tea Room’s 17-year legal fight to open a strip club in the Village of Broadview, stymied by courts at nearly every turn, has ended with a blistering opinion by a federal appeals court. The opinion drew praise from Broadview’s mayor.
“Chicago’s Joe’s shadowy group of deep-pocketed strip club owners thought they could bully Broadview and its 7,800 residents, its elected officials, and wear us down with endless court battles,” said Mayor Katrina Thompson. “Well, they were wrong. Broadview wanted nothing to do with their strip club, and we consistently conveyed that message for more than 15 years.”
On February 26, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th District affirmed a 2023 lower court ruling that sided with Broadview in which it consented on November 10, 2022, to an order issued by Federal District Court Judge Matthew Kennelly that limited damages payable to Chicago Joe’s – due to Broadview’s refusal to grant a business license to operate in the village – at $15,111.00. The owners of the hoped-for strip club had sought $150 million.
Chicago Joe’s first filed a lawsuit against the Broadview in 2007 with the intent of opening a strip club after village officials balked at granting a business permit. What followed was 17-years of court battles, the involvement of four different judges, at least 10 law firms, and an appellate court decision that backed a lower court ruling that denied Chicago Joe’s a legal path to open in Broadview.
Thompson praises work of attorneys.
“Broadview deeply appreciates our relationship with Fornaro Law, who loyally and effectively defended Broadview’s interests for 13 ½ years during multiple legal odysseys as well as that of their co-counsel, the Del Galdo Law Group,” said Thompson. “The attorneys worked tirelessly for the Broadview community. We trusted their judgment, and we were rewarded with a vigorous, successful defense.”
“I would be remiss if I failed to mention the efforts of attorney Mark Scarlato, who passed away on April 15, 2022, and was unable to celebrate this victory,” said Thompson. “Mark tirelessly defended the Village and was one of the main architects of Broadview’s defense, so we would have been hard-pressed to achieve our legal victories without Mark.”
After 17 Years, Strip Club’s Legal Fight for Broadview Site Fizzles
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