Obscenity
Obscenity Arrest in Texas
Citing a violation of state obscenity laws, police arrested a convenience store owner for selling sexually explicit DVDs.
Federal Court Strikes Down Georgia Obscenity Law
What started as a case questioning a ban on advertising of sex toys in Georgia has led to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upholding its earlier ruling that the state’s entire obscenity statute is unconstitutional.
U.S. Obscenity Law
When adult entertainment providers hire attorneys to review their films, magazines or websites, they frequently ask, "Could this material cause me legal problems?" But quite often it is difficult to offer a simple yes or no answer because for many years the American courts have been wrestling with what does and doesn't constitute obscenity.
Winning the Obscenity War
In 2006, the adult entertainment industry is bigger than ever. But adult entertainment also is a convenient target for politicians in some countries. U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has been quite vocal about his desire to greatly increase the number of obscenity prosecutions — and in Great Britain, politicians have been considering a proposal that could make it a felony to download sadomasochistic erotica on the Internet.
Legislators Drop Adult Tax, Reconsider Obscenity
The Legislature is once again taking aim at adult-oriented businesses in Kansas. On the agenda: obscenity, highway signs and taxes.
U.S. Justices Won’t Ax Internet Obscenity Law
The U.S. Supreme Court without comment rejected an appeal from fetish photographer Barbara Nitke, who claimed a federal decency law violated her 1st Amendment rights to post pictures of sadomasochistic sexual behavior on the web.
ForbiddenVideos.com Operators Convicted on Obscenity Charges
The operators of ForbiddenVideos.com on Monday were convicted by a federal jury on obscenity and conspiracy charges. The site allegedly advertised and distributed videos and streaming media that included scenes of rape, sexual torture, and urination and defacation.
Georgia Ruling Could Loosen Obscenity Laws
A case brought to the state’s highest court by a small Smyrna, Ga.-based tobacco accessory shop could force a change in obscenity legislation across the country.
Obscenity Sentence Called the Stiffest in Recent Times
Adult distributor Sanford Wasserman, who sold such videos as “Physically Raped,” “Anything Goes” and “Rape and Sodomize,” has been sentenced by a federal judge to five years in prison without the possibility of parole for conspiring to distribute obscene videotapes.
101 Arrests in China for Internet Obscenity
Officials in the Chinese Government recently announced they had arrested 101 people last August in a beefed-up attempt to curb Internet obscenity in the country.
Felony Obscenity for ‘Porn-in-the-Car’ Suspects
Don’t drive while watching porn. Or, more relevant to two recent arrests in Florida this week, don’t drive while watching porn when you have crack cocaine in your wallet right next to your driver’s license.
Obscenity Charges Against Lion’s Den Thrown Out
A Kansas judge yesterday dismissed 10 obscenity counts against the Lion’s Den Adult Superstore, saying the state’s obscenity law used to persecute the store is unconstitutional.
Special Panel Won’t Ax U.S. Internet Obscenity Law
A special federal panel has rejected an appeal to topple the Communications Decency Act of 1996, which makes it a crime to send obscenity over the Internet to children.
Texan Pleads Guilty to Obscenity
Leroy Moore Sr., the putative owner or former owner of five adult-oriented businesses in the Fort Worth and Austin areas, pleaded guilty to one out of 23 obscenity counts against him: admitting to conspiring to engage in the business of selling or transferring obscene matter.
California Bill Seeks to Redefine Obscenity
State Sen. Elaine Alquist, D-Santa Clara, has revised a bill originally submitted in February that seeks to define obscenity in the state, with special regard to how cases are prosecuted in situations involving people who appear to be minors.
Obscenity Battles Continue
"It's a new day out there, and they ought not be pursuing this type of material when it goes to consenting adults." So spoke my friend and colleague Louis Sirkin, Rob Zicari's defense attorney, in an interview on ABC's "Nightline" in the wake of his stunning victory in United States vs. Extreme Associates, No. 03-0203.
U.S. Obscenity Laws: 2
In Part 1, we discovered the historical protections of freedom of expression and the intent of the Founding Fathers. In this wrap up of our look at U.S. Obscenity Laws, we'll examine lust, prurience, and finding value in erotica:
U.S. Obscenity Laws: 1
Observers of the Washington scene will have noticed by now that certain elements within the federal government are pushing for a reinvigorated assault on the adult entertainment industry; including the redefinition, and prosecution of, federal obscenity laws. To better understand where this is all going, it's important to understand where it's starting from. Here's a two part look at the often confusing statutes, their roots, and examples of the results of their application.
Conservatives Hope Goalie Case Lowers Obscenity Bar
Conservative groups are hopeful that the U.S. Justice Department’s case against adult retailer Goalie Entertainment Holdings will help lower the standards that must be met to obtain obscenity convictions.
Judiciary Subcommittee Holds Obscenity Hearing
Examining the constitutional context for obscenity prosecution, scholars Patrick Trueman of the Family Research Council and Robert Destro of Catholic University gave testimony Wednesday before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Constitution, Civil Rights, and Property Rights.