An Atlanta strip club is worried that an Augusta businessman’s problems could sully its good reputation.
Owners of Atlanta’s Magic City say they have been scandalized by news reports about a purported teen club in Augusta that went by the same name. The teen club at 3200 Mike Padgett Highway was shut down after a shootout in the parking lot last month resulted in the death of a 16-year-old.
The proprietor, Patrick Walton, has been charged with a felony for misleading officials in order to obtain a business license.
Nancy Gardner, an attorney with Chamberlain, Hrdlicka, White, Williams and Aughtry, said they are glad the teen club is no longer open but are unhappy that Walton’s business “dragged our client’s name through the mud.”
Gardner said she contacted Walton in December when they learned he was operating under the Magic City name, which is trademarked by M Entertainment & Consultant Service Inc.
“Walton denied that he was using Magic City, denied he operated a club, and claimed that the business license he held mistakenly referred to his business as Magic City,” Gardner said in an e-mail. “He told me it wasn’t club but a banquet hall, where they had bingo.”
Gardner said there are no bingo nights at her client’s establishment.
She said her concern is that events at the Augusta club will cause “consumer confusion” and make customers mistakenly associate Walton’s business with the Atlanta club, which provides “adult entertainment in the nature of nude, semi-nude and erotic dancing.”
“The unfortunate shooting at the Augusta club and Mr. Walton’s own bad acts are tarnishing our client’s name and reputation,” Gardner said.
She said there is no mistake that Walton chose the Magic City name because of the cache it carries in certain circles.
“It has been mentioned in several hip hop songs,” she said. “In certain communities it is quite well known.”
Heaven forbid that Augusta taint this fine establishments reputation. I guess that means none of the Augusta Commission can visit that Atlanta establishment as well.
This is quite the narcissistic stretch. Looking 150 miles away for someone to blame his failures on.
while I do not agree with bars, dives, strip clubs and the like; if they have established themselves according to local ordinance and law, then they have as much right as someone who wants to open a mom and pop store, flower shop, or cafe. And yes, according to law if they are operating within its context.....they do have legal reputation that can be tarnished, or harmed. It would not bother me if they all closed, but as a citizen, I will defend their rights, not their purpose.
Patrick, and I know him personally, is the type guy who has ALWAYS tried to circumvent the rules and the system. He got caught, but this time it cost a young man his life. My opinion is with his "hustle" skills, and ability to make a dollar bending the rules.......he should be fairly successful in prison...............
@Willow - I doubt that the original Magic City is failing any! That strip club is known nationwide.
That says a lot about teen clubs and strip clubs!
We need more "teen clubs"! At least one in every neighborhood! Give these poor poor children a place to enjoy fellowship and togetherness. To stand in the way of these young people having their clubs is pure racist.
Never heard of Magic City until the shooting. I would not want to be associated with those types of people. Mr. Walton is guilty of not telling the truth to the authorities about the business he was going to open and about playing on the Atlanta name but he did not shoot the 16 year old. The morals and thug mentalityof the shooter involved is the one guilty of murder.
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