Ariz Supreme Court: 1st Amendment protects tattoos

Its decision Friday came in a case in which a lower court ruled that cities can no longer use long-established regulations to block where certain types of businesses can locate.

Mesa asked the high court to hear the case after the Arizona Court of Appeals ruled last November that tattoo parlors are entitled to the same First Amendment protections as the artwork they produce.

In March 2009, Mesa turned down a request from Angel Tattoo after Dobson Ranch residents said the parlor was incompatible with the area.

The state Supreme Court remanded the case back to Maricopa County Superior Court.