AnalProbe

One man's porn palace is another man's furniture store.

This is at the heart of the latest installment in a long-running disagreement between Metro police Vice officers and Metro News, which at one point billed itself as the world's largest adult bookstore.

On Easter Sunday, Vice officers cited a clerk at the store on charges of violating state laws that require adult businesses to close on Sundays and holidays, Sgt. Rob Forrest said. Comparing it to a liquor store, whose hours of operation are dictated by state law, Forrest said charges against the owner were being sought.

Attorney John Herbison, who represents the establishment, said he is going to fight the citation ''on the facts and on the law.''

''I'm very glad to see the Police Department has murder, wrecks and robbery under control,'' he said. ''Our contention is the legislation doesn't apply to the store as presently configured.''

Herbison said the majority of the store's floor space is devoted to material other than adult-oriented materials. Also, the majority of its inventory is nonsexual, he said. So under the law, he said, it's not an adult-oriented business.

The store sells furniture and lawn and garden ornaments on its lower floor, along with other non-sexually oriented items on its main floor, he said.

Forrest said that to get to the furniture, one must pass by myriad dolls, toys and publications of an adult nature. And you still have to be over 18 to enter, even to shop for furniture, he said.

Herbison said a court battle would show that the law was on their side. ''If the district attorney's office wants to spend court time on matters of such a minor nature as this, bring it on; we'll engage them.''