Adult film star Stormy Daniels was arrested Thursday and charged with breaking a controversial and little-known Ohio state law called the Community Defense Act, which prohibits adult dancers from touching patrons and vice versa. Daniels, 39, real name Stephanie Clifford, was arrested at the Columbus, Ohio, strip club Sirens early Thursday morning for allegedly using her bare breasts to slap around patrons, according to a police report. Daniels was arrested by several Columbus police officers after she also allegedly fondled the breasts of female patrons and held the face of a female officer into her chest, WBNS-TV first reported. Daniels was released on $6,000 bond, but has been hit with three charges related to an obscure 2007 law that was spearheaded by conservatives and meant to restrict sexual activity and limit strip club operating hours. The Community Defense Act was passed in Ohio in 2007 after the conservative religious group Citizens for Community Values lobbied heavily for rules against strip club operations. The group proposed the legislation as a state statute, allowing the General Assembly to pass on legislation that didn't require a public vote, according to a report. Then-Governor Ted Strickland, a Democrat, allowed the law to take effect without his signature despite a Statehouse debate that included young women in pink "Dancers for Democracy" shirts opposing the effort, the Columbus Dispatch reported. The law places a wide range of restrictions, including no naked dancing after midnight, limits on when dancers can touch patrons and which clubs with liquor licenses can continue to stay open despite featuring nude dancing. Offenders can face up to six months in jail and a fine. Club operators filed a lawsuit against the bill in U.S. District Court in Cleveland prior to its 2007 passage, asking a judge to issue an order of protection because the law was "unconstitutionally vague" and suppresses the right of free expression. Upon arrest, Daniels was charged with three counts of "illegally operating sexually oriented business" and knowingly touching a patron, online court records show. Columbus Police confirmed to the Columbus Dispatch the law is rarely enforced in the state of Ohio despite being on the books for the past 11 years. The law also features a stipulation that exempts the touching of "family members." After Daniels's arrest, her attorney Michael Avenatti ridiculed what he called the "absurd use of law enforcement resources" and suggested on Twitter that the arrest was politically motivated. Avenatti told MSNBC Thursday that the undercover officers in the strip club were female but shook off allegations that any of the behavior Daniels engaged in was "inappropriate." An arrest affidavit said Daniels allegedly inappropriately touched male and female undercover police officers after they threw cash in her direction. Avenatti said it was "ridiculous" that Columbus Police forced Daniels on a perp walk for the cameras at Jackson Pike Correctional Facility and police could instead focus on Columbus's skyrocketing murder rate. Avenatti called the arrest a "complete set up" in an interview with the Associated Press. Avenatti said Daniels will enter a "not guilty" plea and won't appear in court for her arraignment at 9:30 a.m. Friday morning at Franklin Municipal Court. He said he has been talking with "reasonable" prosecutors all morning and Daniels will leave the state of Ohio within the next several hours. Avenatti also took to Twitter to blast the arrest. "She was arrested for allegedly allowing a customer to touch her while on stage in a non sexual manner! Are you kidding me?" he wrote. "They are devoting law enforcement resources to sting operations for this? There has to be higher priorities!!! #SetUp #Basta."<doc-sep>Editor’s Note: Caroline Polisi is a federal and white-collar criminal defense attorney in New York and is of counsel at Pierce Bainbridge. She frequently appears on CNN as a legal analyst and is an anchor at the Law & Crime Network, providing live legal analysis on high-profile court cases. Follow her on Twitter: @CarolinePolisi. The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author; view more opinion articles on CNN. (CNN) — America’s favorite porn star, Stephanie Clifford (aka Stormy Daniels), was arrested early Thursday for doing her job at a strip club in Ohio. Undercover police officers apprehended Clifford at Sirens Gentlemen’s Club, citing three misdemeanor offenses involving illegally touching patrons during her performance, in violation of Ohio state law. After posting $6,054 in bail, she was released, and the charges have since been dropped. Yulia Nar Caroline Polisi One can imagine – vaguely – just how the situation played out. While Clifford may be public enemy No. 1 in some political circles for unabashedly wanting to tell her story about her alleged consensual affair with Donald Trump in 2006 (as she detailed in a 2011 interview with In Touch), she’s hardly the kind of dangerous criminal we should be pouring our investigative and prosecutorial resources into apprehending. Apparently, Ohio state law enforcement officials deemed it necessary to devote its limited resources not, in this instance, to investigating violent criminal activity, or even the lethal drug epidemic sweeping the state and killing its residents at an astonishing rate. Instead, apparently more important to ensuring Ohioans’ public safety Wednesday night was the investigation (requiring three undercover officers) of Clifford, and her subsequent arrest under a portion of the law making it a misdemeanor offense for an employee of a sexually oriented business to knowingly touch a patron while “nude” or “seminude.” And, just to be clear, “seminude” could technically include a woman showing “cleavage with less than a fully opaque covering,” so cover up, ladies, lest your anatomy escapes an ill-fitting neckline! I believe the law should be enforced without fear or favor – in a neutral manner. And I try to analyze the law in a neutral manner as well; I’ve been covering the Stormy Daniels saga for CNN Opinion since she captured America’s attention on Jimmy Kimmel and taught us all a thing or two about preconceived notions we may or may not have about women in the porn industry. (Don’t underestimate them.) And I’ve called them like I’ve seen them when it comes to the legal strategies employed by Michael Avenatti, Clifford’s relentlessly media-savvy attorney (and he blocked me on Twitter, possibly for doing so here). So, I’m not just another #TeamStormy yes man (er … woman). But I genuinely believe that Avenatti is right to call this stunt out for what it was – a politically motivated setup. Get our free weekly newsletter Sign up for CNN Opinion's new newsletter. Join us on Twitter and Facebook As any criminal defense attorney knows, prosecutorial discretion is a hidden obstacle in the criminal justice system. And when it is weaponized for political purposes, the integrity of our judicial system suffers. Senseless arrests such as the one against Clifford do nothing to advance our interests in either public safety, or neutrality under the law. Luckily, for Clifford, with charges dropped she can continue pursuing her civil disputes with Donald Trump and Michael Cohen in the courtroom – not from behind bars, where she doesn’t belong.<doc-sep>Porn star Stormy Daniels has been arrested in Columbus, Ohio for allowing a customer to touch her while performing at a strip club, according to her attorney, Michael Avenatti. Daniels allegedly let a customer touch her "in a nonsexual manner" while she was on stage, Avenatti said. Avenatti described the arrest as a "setup" that he says was "politically motivated." Daniels is expected to be released on bail and charged with a misdemeanor. Porn star Stormy Daniels has been arrested in Columbus, Ohio for allowing a customer to touch her while performing at a strip club on Wednesday, according to her attorney, Michael Avenatti. "Just [received] word that my client @StormyDaniels was arrested in Columbus Ohio [while] performing the same act she has performed across the nation at nearly a hundred strip clubs," attorney Michael Avenatti said in a tweet. "This was a setup & politically motivated." "It reeks of desperation," Avenatti added. "We will fight all bogus charges. #Basta." Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, allegedly allowed a customer to "touch her while on stage in a nonsexual manner," Avenatti said in another tweet. "Are you kidding me?," Avenatti said. "They are devoting law enforcement resources to sting operations for this? There has to be higher priorities!!!" Under Ohio's Community Defense Act, anyone who is not a family member is prohibited from touching a nude or semi-nude dancer and their clothes, anywhere at the club, including the parking lot, according to The Columbus Dispatch. Daniels is expected to be released on bail and charged with a misdemeanor, according to Avenatti. She was scheduled to perform at the Sirens strip club in Columbus on Wednesday and Thursday. Avenatti is representing Daniels in a civil litigation case against President Donald Trump and his longtime personal attorney, Michael Cohen. Daniels was paid $130,000 by Cohen to keep silent about an affair she says she had with Trump in 2006. She wants to be freed from her nondisclosure agreement. Cohen admitted he personally made a $130,000 payment to Daniels with his own money, but denied that Trump or his campaign was involved in the transaction. The payment was made a month before the 2016 US presidential election and raised suspicion that it served as a hush-money payment. Daniels was quoted in a 2011 interview saying she had an affair with Trump, but publicly denied it ever happened until filing her lawsuit.<doc-sep>Stormy Daniels was arrested at an Ohio strip club Wednesday for allegedly letting patrons touch her while she was on stage, a violation of state law. The sometime adult film star and director, whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford, is currently on a tour titled "Make America Horny Again"—a play on her association with Donald Trump, American president. Immediately, her ubiquitous lawyer, Michael Avenatti, suggested the arrest was in no way random: This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Just rcvd word that my client @StormyDaniels was arrested in Columbus Ohio whole performing the same act she has performed across the nation at nearly a hundred strip clubs. This was a setup & politically motivated. It reeks of desperation. We will fight all bogus charges. #Basta — Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) July 12, 2018 This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. She was arrested for allegedly allowing a customer to touch her while on stage in a non sexual manner! Are you kidding me? They are devoting law enforcement resources to sting operations for this? There has to be higher priorities!!! #SetUp #Basta — Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) July 12, 2018 Clifford has pled not guilty to three misdemeanor charges and has posted $6,000 bail. She has also released a statement: This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Official Statement From @StormyDaniels: As a result of what happened last night, I will unfortunately be unable to go forward with tonight's scheduled performance. I deeply apologize to my fans in Columbus. — Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) July 12, 2018 A few elements here immediately stick out. By Ohio law, when a strip club patron touches a performer, it's the performer who's legally liable? And perhaps more importantly, how often are these statutes really enforced? How often is a performer arrested for what sounds like run-of-the-mill behavior? A reporter for libertarian outlet Reason, Elizabeth Nolan Brown, suggested Ohio law lists a number of offenses in this same vein, and that "arresting strippers over petty nonsense is not uncommon, but usually predicated on some completely unrelated background grudge or politics." The details of this case, of course, aren't yet clear. This content is imported from YouTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Still, it would be impossible to separate these events from Daniels' background. She claims she had an affair with Trump in 2006. During the 2016 election, Trump's fixer, Michael Cohen, set up a Delaware-based shell company to pay her $130,000 in hush money in exchange for signing an NDA. (Daniels also alleges that in 2011 a man approached her and her young daughter in a Las Vegas parking lot and threatened her: "That’s a beautiful little girl. It’d be a shame if something happened to her mom.") After a series of less-and-less-sweeping denials (read: a series of collapsing lies), it emerged that Trump knew full well about the payment and reimbursed Cohen for it. Trump still maintains he did not have sex with Daniels. For more than a year, however—and thanks in large part to Avenatti—Daniels has been a thorn in Trump's side from a legal and political standpoint. None of that's to say the decision-making here goes particularly far up the food chain. We just have to ask ourselves: Would Clifford have gone to jail last night if she had a different past and a different stage name? Update (2:07 p.m.): The charges against Daniels have been dropped, according to The New York Times: Prosecutors later dismissed the charges, according to a motion posted on Twitter by Ms. Clifford’s lawyer, Michael J. Avenatti. The motion by prosecutors said that the law under which Ms. Clifford was arrested applies to people who “regularly” appear nude or seminude at a particular establishment, but that Ms. Clifford had not appeared at the club consistently. Prosecutors added they were not consulted before officers carried out the sting operation. Jack Holmes Politics Editor Jack Holmes is the Politics Editor at Esquire, where he writes daily and edits the Politics Blog with Charles P Pierce. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io<doc-sep>
UPDATE: July 12, 2018, 1:15 p.m. EDT To the surprise of no one, the very silly charges against Stormy Daniels were dismissed this afternoon. Our original story continues below. UPDATE: July 26, 2018, 10:45 a.m. EDT New allegations have surfaced that allege the arrest was part of a set-up by local cops. A local newspaper got its hands on what are reportedly emails from one of the officers involved that reveal the arrest was planned before it happened. Things got a little stormy for Stormy Daniels during her Wednesday night performance at a strip club in Columbus, Ohio, during which a bit of touching resulted in her arrest. Daniels has been hopscotching the country on what she's calling her "Make America Horny Again" tour, and it came to a screeching halt in Columbus when Daniels got up close and personal with a few patrons in apparent violation of Ohio law. Good morning. It's looking a little Stormy at the local jail today: Stormy Daniels arrested last night by Columbus police while performing at NE Side strip club — for touching customers (in some creative ways)... https://t.co/5KY6TwCuV3 pic.twitter.com/VTVUigl2Kx — dispatch editor (@dispatcheditor) July 12, 2018 Things were going fine at the strip club Sirens until, as the Columbus Dispatch reports, Daniels gave some customers, including a handful of police officers, a thrill. Per the Dispatch's report on the affidavit filed from the incident: Nearly all of the club's customers approached the stage and started throwing dollars bills at the performer, the affidavit said. Daniels then forced the faces of several customers into her chest and smacked the sides of their heads with her breasts. She touched the breasts of several female customers. Three officers approached the stage after watching Daniels make contact with the customers and the performer treated them in a similar manner, forcing their faces into her chest and touching the breasts and buttocks of a female officer, according to the affidavit. Still less subtle than Trump, IMHO! Daniels was hit with three misdemeanor charges and released on $6,000 bail. Attorney Michael Avenatti was pretty riled up about the whole thing. Just rcvd word that my client @StormyDaniels was arrested in Columbus Ohio whole performing the same act she has performed across the nation at nearly a hundred strip clubs. This was a setup & politically motivated. It reeks of desperation. We will fight all bogus charges. #Basta — Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) July 12, 2018 She was arrested for allegedly allowing a customer to touch her while on stage in a non sexual manner! Are you kidding me? They are devoting law enforcement resources to sting operations for this? There has to be higher priorities!!! #SetUp #Basta — Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) July 12, 2018 My client @StormyDaniels will issue a plea of “Not Guilty” to the three misdemeanor charges. — Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) July 12, 2018 This is all kinds of ridiculous because, as the Dispatch itself noted just last fall, the law under which Daniels was arrested — the Ohio Community Defense Act — has rarely been cited since it became law in 2007. The Citizens for Community Values, based out of Cincinnati, pushed for such a law before the Ohio state legislature passed a weaker version. Besides limiting the hours adult-oriented businesses like strip clubs and adult book stores can operate, the law prevents anyone (except family members) from touching a nude or partially nude dancer or their clothes. In other words, no lap dances. And it gets very specific. Per the Dispatch: Some "touches" face more serious penalties. Touching a dancer's genitals, buttocks or the "female breast below a point immediately above the top of the areola" is a first-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. A second offense is a fourth-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a $250 fine. No word what charges one could face in Ohio if you "grab 'em by the pussy." As for Daniels, though she's probably taking this all in stride (it's her way,) she's cancelled Thursday night's return appearance at Sirens.