Mukasey Says He’ll ‘Review’ DOJ Obscenity Enforcement

WASHINGTON — During recent Senate confirmation hearings for Michael Mukasey, President George W. Bush’s nominee to fill the vacant U.S. Attorney General position, Mukasey said that if he is confirmed, he will reevaluate the Justice Department’s obscenity law enforcement strategy.

Senator Orrin Hatch, R-UT, raised the topic of adult entertainment, asserting that the Justice Department has in recent years compiled a “terrible record enforcing adult obscenity law.” Saying that “pornography and obscenity consumption harms individuals, families [and] communities,” Hatch asserted that the Justice Department in recent years had prosecuted “too narrow a range of obscenity.”

In his response, Mukasey appeared to agree with Hatch’s assessment, saying “I recognize that mainstream materials can have an effect of cheapening a society, objectifying women, and endangering children in a way that we can’t tolerate,” and promised to review the Justice Department’s current policy of prosecuting only “extreme” materials.

Asked for his reaction to Mukasey’s statement, Jeffrey Douglas, chairman of the Free Speech Coalition, told XBIZ that he was not worried that a major shift in obscenity prosecution strategy would take place at the Justice Department if Mukasey is confirmed.

“Frankly, that concerns me not one little bit,” Douglas said. “For any candidate looking to fill that position [Attorney General], this would be a typical response. Janet Reno might have said something very similar — it doesn’t mean that they have any intention of actually changing their prosecutorial strategy.”

Douglas noted that in the recent Five Star/JM Productions obscenity case, the jury ultimately convicted on only a single DVD out of the four in the indictment, even though much of the evidence showing that similar materials frequently were consumed in the relevant community was disallowed.

“When juries already are refusing to convict on material that can be described as ‘extreme,’ it seems naïve to believe that a future jury would turn around and convict on standard, run-of-the-mill hardcore,” Douglas said.

Related:  

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

Chloe Amour: Recharged, Refocused, and Ready for Real Love

These days, getting ahold of Chloe Amour on the weekend can be tough. She might ditch her phone, as was the case on a recent weekend while celebrating her birthday with family at Disneyland, riding the rides and taking in some sun.

Strike 3 Holdings Sues Meta for Pirating Vixen Media Group Content to Train AI

Vixen Media Group owner Strike 3 Holdings filed suit in federal court this week, accusing Facebook parent company Meta of copyright infringement and alleging that Meta has extensively pirated VMG content to train its artificial intelligence models.

Isabella De Laa, Cherry Candle Star in Latest From MixedX

Isabella De Laa and Cherry Candle star in the latest release from MixedX, titled “Between Us.”

Tony Sting, Adira Allure & Dominic Pacifico Headline Latest From BiPhoria

Tony Sting, Adira Allure, and Dominic Pacifico star in the latest release from BiPhoria.

Proxy Paige, Wolf King Release 'I Kissed a Trans and I Liked It'

Evil Angel has released its latest title, “I Kissed a Trans and I Liked It,” co-directed by Proxy Paige and Wolf King.

Pineapple Support, Streamate to Host 'Navigating Grief and Loss' Support Group

Pineapple Support and Streamate are hosting a free online support group to help performers cope with grief and loss.

Friday is Final AV Compliance Deadline in UK

Friday, July 25 marks U.K. media regulator Ofcom’s deadline for user-to-user services such as tube, cam and fan sites to implement its requisite “highly effective age assurance” measures for preventing minors from viewing adult content.

Elly Clutch Stars in Latest From Brazzers

2024 XMAs Female Clip Creator of the Year Elly Clutch stars with Ricky Johnson in the latest release from Brazzers, titled "Elly’s Evil Twin."

Liz Jordan Crowned Newest Vixen Angel

Vixen Media Group (VMG) has crowned Liz Jordan as its newest Vixen Angel.

AEBN Publishes Popular Searches for May, June

AEBN has released the top search terms for the months of May and June from its straight and gay theaters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Show More