At the height of Vietnam and the birth of America's counterculture, when longhaired musicians were hailed by young people for challenging community standards, the lead singer of The Doors, Jim Morrison, stumbled onto the stage at Miami's Dinner Key Auditorium.
What happened next has been the topic of debate for decades. Establishment representatives like The Miami Herald charged that the "Lizard King" exposed himself to the crowd during the 1969 concert.
Photos from the concert, where an inebriated Mr. Morrison undoubtedly taunted the crowd, never confirmed that he showed his privates, though he did fiddle with his belt. But what was not up for debate was the extent to which his actions challenged the conservative mores of the day.
He was arrested after the concert for indecent exposure and profanity. He was convicted, but never served any time, and was appealing the judgment when he died in Paris in 1971.
This year, Morrison fans appealed to the Florida board of clemency for his posthumous pardon. It was granted by the board, which includes outgoing Gov. Charlie Crist (I), on Dec. 9.
Governor Crist argued that the singer's death denied him the fundamental right of appealing his conviction. "In this case, the guilt or innocence is in God's hands, not ours," he said.
Not everyone agreed. "This is the wrong message to send to the youth of this country," Miami police officer Angel Lago told ABC News. "It is absolutely wrong."
