Judge: Nudity all good at California beach

SAN DIEGO, Aug. 20 (UPI) -- A judge in Orange County, Calif., has temporarily stopped a measure aimed at stopping people from stripping down to their birthday suits at an area beach.

Those in favor of allowing nudity at San Onofre State Beach say the judge's ruling marked a major victory in their fight for beach nudity at the San Diego County site, the San Diego Union-Tribune said Wednesday.

"We've got them pinned back," Friends of San Onofre Beach President Allen Baylis said after Tuesday's ruling.

Baylis was referring to the state Parks and Recreation Department, which is attempting to ban nudity from the public beach.

The state group began targeting the 30-year-old tradition in June by threatening nude beach-goers with fines and detainment. The new regulations prompted a lawsuit from the pro-nudity group, Naturist Action Committee, who argued no rule changes could occur without a proper public hearing.

The Union-Tribune said Superior Court Judge Sheila Fell agreed with that assertion and now state officials must follow the lengthy established government protocol to keep swimsuits on San Onofre beachgoers.