Intellectual Property Law

Judge in Obscenity Case Will Consider Recusing Himself

By Ryan Singel, Kevin Poulsen, Sarah Lai Stirland, Kim Zetter, and David Kravets

Following yesterday's post about the California appeals court judge who posted pornographic images to his personal web site, the San Francisco Chronicle has an interview with the judge today.

Kozinksi (at right) says the web site was actually used by his entire family and that he was unaware that some of the images were on the site. After the story broke in the Los Angeles Times yesterday, Kozinski says one of his sons called to tell him that he had loaded some of the images to the site.

The material caused some court observers to call for Kozinski to recuse himself from an obscenity case over which he's presiding in Los Angeles. The case involves a filmmaker who is accused of distributing fetish films that depict bestiality and other acts that might be deemed criminally obscene.

Kozinski says he has told lawyers in the trial that he will consider any requests they make to have him removed from the case. The trial, which started Wednesday, has been put on hold pending a decision by the U.S. Justice Department about whether to ask Kozinski to leave the case.

Photo: Paul Sakuma/AP

See also:

• Chief Judge in Oscenity Case Caught Posting Porn

Full post as published by Threat Level on June 12, 2008 (boomark / email).