News
Child Porn Law Overturned
posted on by George Phillips
Six-year-old law deemed too Broad.
CNN is reporting that a 6-year old law against "virtual pornography" (including youthful-looking adults, child paintings, and adult actors depicting teenagers) has been overturned by the Supreme Court, on the grounds that it was too broad.
The law was first successfully contested in L.A. three years ago when a California appeals court found it unconstitutional.
The 6-3 ruling by the Supreme Court states that the law violates the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of speech. Justice Anthony Kennedy, referred to Shakespeare's play “Romeo and Julliet” and more recently movies such as "Traffic" and "American Beauty,” as items that portray teenage sex yet do not contravene American community standards.
In the past it has even been suggested that a strict enforcement of the law would make the average diaper commercial illegal.
The outcome of this ruling should be of interest to Anime fans because many of today's Anime, including those not generally considered “adult” in nature, depict scenes that would be illegal under the law before it was struck down.
U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft has stated that he would work with Congress to pass a new law that the courts would not strike down.
The law was first successfully contested in L.A. three years ago when a California appeals court found it unconstitutional.
The 6-3 ruling by the Supreme Court states that the law violates the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of speech. Justice Anthony Kennedy, referred to Shakespeare's play “Romeo and Julliet” and more recently movies such as "Traffic" and "American Beauty,” as items that portray teenage sex yet do not contravene American community standards.
In the past it has even been suggested that a strict enforcement of the law would make the average diaper commercial illegal.
The outcome of this ruling should be of interest to Anime fans because many of today's Anime, including those not generally considered “adult” in nature, depict scenes that would be illegal under the law before it was struck down.
U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft has stated that he would work with Congress to pass a new law that the courts would not strike down.
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