Obscenity laws ruled unconstitutional

[siliconefreak]

I just saw this. Of course, I don't think it made any of the mainstream news media oulets, but believe me, this is huge:

CHATSWORTH, Calif. - In a decision that is bound to have enormous impact on the Adult entertainment industry, obscenity charges against producer Rob Black and his wife Lizzy Borden of Extreme Associates were thrown out of court today by a federal judge in Pittsburgh.

More:

http://www.avn.com/index.php?Primary_Navigation=Articles&Action=View_Article&Content_ID=214089

[Bluzmann57]

1. But the fundies will fight this one tooth and nail

that is as sure of a bet as any in history. They won't deal with a setback like this quietly. The anti-porno people are scary. I hope Mr. Black has a bodyguard or two just in case. Larry Flynt is in a wheelchair, need I say more?

[mongo]

3. I've been waiting for the backlash

As this decision was handed down Friday Morn. But nary a peep from the fundies yet.

Haven't seen anything in the MSM either. Guess they won't cover the story until Dobson makes a statement about it.

[siliconefreak]

4. I don't think they've noticed it yet

I just checked the Free Republic site as well as Concerned (Bleached Blond) Women of America, and neither of them mention the case.

[mongo]

7. it did hit FR

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1326509/posts

But hasn't hit the big players like moralityinmedia.org

They may keep quiet on this. They believe that it will be overturned on appeal. Might be bad for donations if folks think that there is nothing they can do about it.

[siliconefreak]

8. ah, thank you

Surprise, surprise...I had searched their site for this, but their search engine doesn't seem to work very well. :eyes:

[mongo]

9. I browse over there everyday

I do a search for pornography and obscenity in both title and keyword.

Just in case I miss any big news. And to get a feel on the other side's opinion on this.


Porn is a topic where you find equal division on both FR and DU. It's really weird to be hated by elements of both the right and left.

[Us vs Them]

2. This is brilliant news, however

it does seem to go against recent trends with regard to censorship in the media. Those darn 'activist' judges.

[Spinzonner]

5. Would you marry someone named Lizzy Borden ?

[TeeYiYi]

6. Why not? . . .

. . . it was her parents she had a beef with.

TYY:7

[moobu2]

10. Am I correct or did I access some old Nazi laws?

Please tell me I am wrong because these federal obsinity laws look like they could have been written by the Nazi Gestapo during the 1930's and 40's. The laws are so vague that almost anything the fundies objected to could be included as obscene and could be prosecuted involving long prison terms and forfeiture of property. At least that's what it looks like to me.

If you haven't read these laws please do. Start with the first page and read (carefully) through all the pages, they aren't that long and at the lower right there's a {PREV | NEXT} button you can click on to go to each preceding page....Scary stuff.
TITLE 18 > PART I > CHAPTER 71 > § 1460. Possession with intent to sell, and sale, of obscene matter on Federal property

They mention information on abortion and "indecent character" and "immoral character" and look at the section about "Broadcasting obscene language" and prison sentences for profane language.

[siliconefreak]

11. not surprising, unfortunately

Who knows what else lurks in the law books. I wish that every law passed in America would expire in 10 years automatically unless it was renewed by the government (local or otherwise). Our society and culture evolves so quickly that I think it would be a prudent thing to do.

[mongo]

12. That's the law

And there are similar state laws most anywhere. By the way "obscenity" is defined, I can be arrested for any movie in my inventory.

It carries a one-year sentence (by state law) for a first offense. The federal law is 5 years for a first offense, and 10 years for second offenses.

The thing is that it is very expense for a county to bring an obscenity trial, and it is a crap shoot as to who will will the case in a jury trial. It also brings negative publicity (as only about 20% of Americans want to see porn abolished) for the county.

That being said, I am pretty nervous about a new judge taking over in August. He's obviously a fundie ("a drop of liquor has never passed my lips"). He doesn't exactly control the prosecutor, but he does have to sign warrants for the sheriff to say, raid my business. I'm sure if this judge says something to the prosecutor, he would want to jump on it. You do want to have the judge be on your side after all.