Judge Pauses Lawsuit Over Indiana AV Law

Judge Pauses Lawsuit Over Indiana AV Law

INDIANAPOLIS — A U.S. district court judge has paused a lawsuit over Indiana’s age verification law, pending the Supreme Court's ruling in the Free Speech Coalition-led challenge to Texas’ age verification law, HB 1181.

According to court documents, Magistrate Judge Mario Garcia granted the plaintiffs' motion for a stay of proceedings until the U.S. Supreme Court issues a ruling in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton. Oral arguments in that case are scheduled for Jan. 15.

Garcia granted the stay based on the plaintiffs' contention that a ruling in the Texas case "may moot or narrow the parties’ present disputes."

In his ruling, Garcia noted, "The issue before the Supreme Court in Paxton is a question of what standard of review is applicable to a law burdening adults' access to protected speech — rational basis vs. strict scrutiny. This question shares overlap with the various issues brought by Defendant in its appeal to the Seventh Circuit."

The defendant in the Indiana case is Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, whose appeal to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals resulted in that court lifting a preliminary injunction against enforcement of Indiana's AV law.

Rokita has also filed an amicus brief arguing for the Supreme Court to uphold Texas' HB 1181.

Indiana lawmakers approved that state’s AV law earlier this year. It calls for adult websites to verify that users in the state are at least 18 years old. That bill took effect in August.

Critics have argued that such laws impinge on the rights of adults to access protected speech while doing little to curb minors from viewing explicit content. Pornhub has repeatedly blocked access in states with AV laws, stating that this is the only way it can comply with such laws. Pornhub parent company Aylo is a co-plaintiff in the Indiana case.

In January 2023, Louisiana became the first state to enact a law requiring age verification by porn websites. Utah, Virginia, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Texas quickly followed. This year saw Montana, North Carolina, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, Alabama, and Oklahoma join the list, with Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and South Carolina scheduled to do so next year.

FSC declined to comment as the case is in active litigation.

Copyright © 2025 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

UK Lawmaker Calls for Appointment of 'Porn Minister'

Baroness Gabrielle Bertin, the Conservative member of Parliament who recently convened a new anti-pornography task force, is calling for the appointment of a “minister for porn,” according to British news outlet The Guardian.

FSC Toasts Jeffrey Douglas for 30 Years of Service

n the very same evening when the adult industry was hit hard by the Supreme Court ruling supporting Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181, members of the Free Speech Coalition board, staff and supporters gathered to celebrate Jeffrey Douglas’ 30 years as board chair — a fitting reflection of his reputation as an eternal optimist.

TTS Opens UK Testing Location

Talent Testing Service (TTS) has opened a new U.K. location in Ware, Hertfordshire.

FSC: Age-Verification Laws Go Into Effect South Dakota, Georgia, Wyoming on July 1

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has published a statement regarding new age verification laws set to go into effect tomorrow in South Dakota, Georgia, and Wyoming.

FSC Responds to Supreme Court Decision on Texas AV Law

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has released a statement responding to last week's Supreme Court decision on FSC v. Paxton, the Texas age verification law.

Sex Work CEO Debuts Upgraded 'GPTease' AI Assistant

Sex Work CEO has introduced the new Canvas in-chat editing feature to its AI-powered, NSFW text generator, GPTease.

UPDATED: Supreme Court Rules Against Adult Industry in Pivotal Texas AV Case

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday issued its decision in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, striking a blow against the online adult industry by ruling in support of Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181.

North Carolina Passes Extreme Bill Targeting Adult Sites

The North Carolina state legislature this week ratified a bill that would impose new regulations that industry observers have warned could push adult websites and platforms to ban most adult creators and content.

Supreme Court Ruling Due Friday in FSC v. Paxton AV Case

The U.S. Supreme Court will rule on Friday in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, the adult industry trade association's challenge to Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181.

Ofcom: More Porn Providers Commit to Age Assurance Measures

A number of adult content providers operating in the U.K. have confirmed that they plan to introduce age checks in compliance with the Online Safety Act by the July 25 deadline, according to U.K. media regulator Ofcom.

Show More