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Marilyn Manson To Play Utah (Finally)

Jan. 6 [16:00 EST] -- Marilyn Manson will be playing at Salt Lake City's Wolf Mountain this Saturday night, instead of the Utah State Fairpark, as a result of a lawsuit filed against the Fairpark by a fan known only as "Armed.

On Friday, a federal judge refused to order the Utah State Fairpark to book Marilyn Manson, but at the same time told the venue's management that it couldn't ban acts it doesn't like unless the performance violates legal standards on pornography, or presents a clear and present danger.

The judge made his ruling after Armed requested an injunction to force the concert to be held at the Fairpark.

Armed initially filed a lawsuit suit in U.S. District Court in December, claiming her free expression rights were violated when the Fairpark withdrew permission for the Marilyn Manson show to take place there after its C.E.O. reviewed the band's posters and song lyrics and found them distasteful.

C.E.O. John Whitaker, who said a contract with

the promoter was never signed, wrote the promoter a letter saying that the Fairpark "desires a reputation of high standards in our business activities. For that reason we are not going to permit you to produce the Marilyn Manson concert here.

Armed claimed the Fairpark cancellation would cause her harm by forcing her to go to another location and change her plans.

While the plaintiff's attorney argued that the Fairpark is owned by the state government and can not engage in censorship, Whitaker argued that the Fairpark began operating as a non-profit corporation as of July 1995, leasing the facility from the state as a private enterprise.

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