DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The city of Daytona Beach decided Wednesday night to settle a lawsuit brought by the so-called Naked Cowboy, a performer known for wearing a cowboy hat and white underwear who was arrested last year during Bike Week.
Robert Burck, known nationally as the Naked Cowboy, has performed at Bike Week for years but was arrested in 2021 on charges of violating the city’s panhandling ordinance and resisting arrest without violence.
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This past March, Burck sued the city and two police officers, saying the city’s panhandling ordinance is unconstitutional under state and federal constitutions and that the officers violated the Fourth Amendment, which protects against unreasonable searches and seizures.
Burck later offered to settle his claims against the city and officers for $90,000, and city commissioners voted 7 - 0 to go forward with the proposed settlement at the Wednesday night meeting.
The proposal did not require the city to rescind its panhandling ordinance nor include any admission of fault by the city or the police officers, according to the Daytona Beach News-Journal.