Supreme Court hears challenge of 'no-nipples' law

CONCORD — Arguments before the state Supreme Court typically don’t include discussions of nipples, buttocks and “pasties,” but that was the nature of the case before the high court Thursday morning.

The court heard arguments in an appeal by three women convicted last year of violating a Laconia city ordinance by sunbathing topless at Weirs Beach.

Heidi Lilley of Gilford, Kia Sinclair of Danbury and Ginger Pierro of Canaan are supporters of the “Free the Nipple” movement, contending that laws that only ban exposing female breasts are discriminatory.

Their lawyer, Daniel Hynes, told the court that the city of Laconia “has criminalized being female.”

“I’m not aware of any criminal statute in New Hampshire where an element of the offense that the state must prove is that the defendant is a certain sex,” he said. “I suggest that’s unconstitutional and, really, immoral.”

Read more: http://www.unionleader.com/article/20180202/NEWS21/180209857/0/FRONTPAGE