Janesville Community Celebration Donor Targeted

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With the high level of negativity, scorn and hate directed at Jim Halbach and his efforts to raise money for the Jaycees Fourth of July Celebration, it should come as no surprise to anyone that his businesses would come under a greater amount of scrutiny than ever before. Fending off allegations of prostitution, owning a strip club puts him at a huge disadvantage if he has to rely on the benefit of the doubt.

JG Excerpt:
Police focused on Screamin' MeeMees because they had no prior information or evidence of prostitution and sexual activity at Diamond Jim's & The Isabella Queen, Moore said. No one resisted or was injured during the searches, and no other contraband was confiscated, Moore said.

Despite this apparent lack of evidence and cause (as reported in the paper), local law enforcement made what appeared to be one of those "slam-dunk" decisions, "Hey it's a strip club, we'll find something if we dig deep enough."

JG Excerpt:
Screamin' MeeMees is a non-alcoholic strip club open to people 18 and older. Performances there feature full nudity.

I’m in no way defending Jim Halbach or his business, but he had to know his type of business is constantly being watched, especially after his generous donation and participation in the city's Fourth of July Celebration.

JG Excerpt:
"We received information within the last two weeks of prostitution and drug sales at Screamin' MeeMees," Moore said. "Most of the evidence was developed in the last week, more specifically last weekend.

The more I read this article the more it sounded like authorities are hoping to turn up evidence they should have had before they acted on the complaints. Either that or authorities held back incriminating evidence and information from the newspaper. Which wouldn't surprise me given the paper's history of trying and convicting people in the public square.

Given the type of business Halbach and Co. is involved in, it will be interesting to find out how his strip club operation compares to others earning a living in these rather questionable yet legal activities.

WSJ Excerpt:
The businesses were apparently unaffected by the police investigation. A recording at Screamin' Mee Mees noted the clubs hours and cover charge, and a woman who answered the phone at Diamond Jim's Tuesday said it was business as usual.

Even though the timing smells like a witch-hunt and the preliminary evidence looks like a witch-hunt and the extent at which law enforcement carried out the raids and investigation walks like a witch-hunt, doesn’t let him off the hook, IF he is guilty of wrongdoing, he won’t survive the witch-hunt.