Booths Must Go : Judge Says Video Shop Defied Order

A judge found Tuesday that the manager of Glendale’s only sexually oriented book and video store failed to comply with her order to remove the shop’s controversial video display booths in which sexual acts allegedly occurred.

Glendale Municipal Court Judge Cheryl Krott ordered Gary Enea, manager of Unique News & Video on San Fernando Road, to remove the booths by noon Friday.

In a ruling on the matter last month, Krott ordered Enea to remove the booths by July 8. But a police lieutenant investigating the shop July 9 discovered they were still intact.

Roger Jon Diamond, Enea’s attorney, was unavailable Tuesday, and Glendale attorney Alfred Calabro represented Enea during the hearing.

Enea said Diamond neglected to tell him the booths had to be removed from the store, Calabro told the court. Although Enea was present at the time the order was made, he contended he did not comprehend it.

Glendale Assistant City Atty. Scott Howard told the court that Enea openly defied the court order.

In her ruling Tuesday, Krott said if Enea again does not comply with her order, she will order the city to remove the booths and place them in storage at Enea’s expense.

Last November, Krott found Enea and Daniel Bishop, owner of the store, guilty of violating a city use and occupancy permit by installing the video booths without city permission a week after the store opened.

In that trial, Howard introduced evidence suggesting that sexual liaisons among the store’s male customers took place in adjoining booths.

At that time, Krott ordered Enea and Bishop to remove the booths and fined them each $850, which they have paid. The men appealed their convictions but lost the appeal last month.