U.S. Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Ala. Sex Toy Ban Case

LAS VEGAS — Adult shop owner Sherri Williams has told XBIZ that the U.S. Supreme Court will not hear her case challenging Alabama's sex toy ban, ending an almost 10-year fight against the law.

The sale of adult toys is now been deemed officially illegal in the state, she said.

"The next step for me is they'll arrest me and put me in jail," Williams said, adding that each offense could bring her a year of hard labor.

"I guess [it] will be a very long time because I have probably 4,900 offenses in my store,' Williams said.

Williams said that in hopes to avoid being prosecuted to the full extent, she has decided to file another lawsuit challenging the validity of Alabama's ban on the sale of sex toys and will hire a 1st Amendment lawyer to do so.

Alabama law states that adult toys may be sold legally for medical, educational and artistic purposes — not for self-gratification — but the law also states that it is against the law to advertise them.

"How can you sell something you can't advertise?" Williams said.

Now Williams said she will wait to see if the state attorney general will decide to postpone prosecution while her new lawsuit is pending, or put her in jail and require she file the suit in prison.

"Because they gave absolutely no guidance whatsoever when they passed this law," Williams said, "now they have to scramble to figure out how to enforce it, and I don't foresee they'll be able to figure that out in the next 30 days."

Williams said she found out about the court's decision today at 9 a.m. and has called a press conference to relay the news while at the International Lingerie Show in the Rio Suites Hotel.

Williams first challenged the law in 1998, claiming it violated a slew of civil rights, and a year later it was found unconstitutional by a federal trial judge. However, an 11th Circuit panel said Alabama can police the sale of "any device designed or marketed as useful primarily for the stimulation of human genital organs."

A recent decision made by the 11th Circuit panel held that "public morality remains a legitimate rational basis for the challenged legislation," and once again deemed the ban constitutional.

Williams current attorneys, Roger Wilcox and Paul Cambria of New York law firm Lipsitz, Green, Scime, Cambria, were unavailable for comment at press time.

Copyright © 2026 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Orion Expands 'Cottelli Fantasy' Line

Orion Wholesale has added six new lingerie sets to its Cottelli Fantasy collection.

Je Joue to Debut Expanded 'ILY' Collection at EroSpain

Je Joue will introduce several new products from its ILY collection at the EroSpain trade show next month in Barcelona.

Magic Silk Debuts 'Daffodil Dreams' Collection

Magic Silk has introduced its new Daffodil Dreams line of lingerie.

Penthouse Wins Trademark Infringement Case Against Fraudulent Domain

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has ruled in favor of Penthouse World Media in a case against a website using an infringing domain.

Playboy Launches Model Search for Honey Birdette Lingerie Collab

Playboy has launched a global model search for the face of the company's exclusive collaboration with lingerie brand Honey Birdette.

Xgen Expands Distro Deal With East Coast News

Xgen Products has expanded its distribution deal with East Coast News (ECN), with the latter now carrying the Lapdance Lingerie and Envy Menswear lines.

Orion Debuts 'Beasty' Jumpsuit

Orion Wholesale has introduced its new Beasty Suits reptilian role-playing jumpsuit.

Eldorado to Host 'Virtual Elevation' Webinar With Lovehoney

Eldorado Trading will host its next "Virtual Elevation," a live, private webinar for retailers, featuring Lovehoney Group's John Marinello and Kim Card, and Eldorado Marketing Director Nathan Morimitsu, on April 23 at noon PDT.

Sportsheets Expands 'Shadow' Collection

Sportsheets has expanded the Shadow collection from its Sex & Mischief line of BDSM gear.

Meta Restores Playboy Germany Facebook Page After Court Order

The Facebook page of Playboy Germany, the German-language edition of the magazine, is now back online after a two-month suspension by Meta, following an order by the Düsseldorf Regional Court.

Show More