Lincoln police will issue ticket for comedian's on-stage cigar

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By The Associated Press

The company that manages the city's Pershing Center will be cited by police after comedian Ron White violated the city's smoking ban during a performance last week. Police Chief Tom Casady said SMG of Philadelphia will get a $100 ticket.

"The law says you can't allow smoking," Casady said Cigars, scotch and Texas-tough talk are part of White's act. During the performance at the Pershing Center, a fan shouted out, asking what it was costing him to smoke the cigar at the center. "Nothin'," White replied. "I said if I can't smoke, I ain't comin."'

Casady said White will not be ticketed because "he's long gone."

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White

White

Casady said one of his sergeants thought briefly about ticketing White during his act.

"But she said ‘No way was I going to give a ticket to a comedian on stage with a crowd of 8,000 people,' " Casady said.

Pershing Center Manager Tom Lorenz did not immediately return a telephone call seeking comment.

Lorenz and City Attorney Dana Roper initially said the city's no-smoking ordinance had an exemption for theatrical performances. But after double-checking the ordinance, Roper said he was wrong: There was an exemption in a draft, but the exemption didn't make the final version.

Lorenz said earlier that smoking never came up when he booked White.

The title of White's tour, "Drunk in Public," refers to his being charged with public drunkenness after being booted from a bar.

There have been fewer than a dozen citations issued since the smoking ban went into effect in January, Casady said.