Indiana

Good Riddance to Bad Law

By Abdul Hakim-Shabazz

The only thing better than when a bad law is tossed out from the courts as unconstitutional is when a stupid law is thrown out.

U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker said a state law that would have forced stores and retailers to pay $250 to register if they sold sexually explicit material was vague and too broad (insert Beavis and Butthead laughter here).

Judge Barker said, “the new law could have applied to lawful and non-obscene materials such as R-rated DVDs or a widow selling a collection of old Playboy magazines at a garage sale.”

There is nothing worse than when lawmakers find a stupid idea and jump on it (insert more Beavis and Butthead laughter here).

Laws like this need to narrowly tailored and well-written; this was neither.

If lawmakers are trying to protect us from obscenity, I can think of a lot better ways and they don’t involve adult-oriented material.

Full post as published by Indiana Barrister on July 01, 2008 (boomark / email).