Pubdate: Tue, 27 Sep 2005 Source: Salt Lake Tribune (UT) Copyright: 2005 The Salt Lake Tribune Contact: http://www.sltrib.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/383 Author: Michael N. Westley, The Salt Lake Tribune ACLU SAYS IT WILL JOIN LAWSUIT OVER RAVE BUST IN UTAH COUNTY The American Civil Liberties Union announced Monday that it would join in the lawsuit filed against the Utah County Sheriff by a Salt Lake City-based rave promoter whose party was busted on Aug. 20. The ACLU's Margaret Plane said the sheriff's decision to raid the event with 90 officers, automatic weapons, dogs and a helicopter raises concerns about the First Amendment rights of those in attendance. Law enforcement has singled out the often clandestine, DJ-driven dance parties as events with the singular intent of distributing and using illegal narcotics. Plane said that view is a generalization that is not fair to those who attend the shows with no intent of breaking the law. "Raves are a legitimate form of artistic and cultural expression," Plane said. "It looks like this is the targeting of a specific culture." "The association with raves and club drugs and the approach [the sheriff has taken] is tantamount to shutting down a Rolling Stones concert based on the fact that some concertgoers might be using illegal drugs," said Plane. Sixty people were cited and about 30 of those were booked into the Utah County Jail on drug, alcohol and resisting arrest charges after officers cleared the party. The rave's promoter, Brandon Fullmer, filed a request for a temporary restraining order in federal court in hopes he could continue to do business in Utah County. But a federal judge ruled Friday that the sheriff was justified in shutting down the party because it posed several health risks to concert attendees and because the organizer failed to attain the proper permit. The request for the restraining order was denied. Fullmer's attorney Brian Barnard was not surprised by the judge's ruling and plans, with the help of the ACLU, to file an amended complaint. Utah County's arguments presented in a Sept. 16 hearing before U.S. District Judge Dale Kimball were misleading and inaccurate, Barnard said. Utah County "came up with enough information to put up a nice enough smokescreen to confuse the judge," Barnard said. "That kind of stuff will be corrected with the amended complaint." Plane said the ACLU has been contacted by several people who were at the event who wanted to share their concerns about the sheriff's tactics. - --- MAP posted-by: Elizabeth Wehrman