Tuesday, October 6, 2009

SCOTUS Considers Federal Animal Cruelty Depiction Law

An update for those following the SCOTUS case on animal cruelty depiction and the US Constitution via USA Today:
The Supreme Court appeared ready Tuesday to strike down a federal law that makes it a crime to sell depictions of animal cruelty on the grounds that it sweeps too broadly and violates free speech rights.

In a spirited hour marked by outrageous hypothetical questions, most of the justices made clear that they thought the disputed statute — used to prosecute a Virginia man who made dog-fighting videos — was too vaguely written.

My thinking is that Congress will need to go back and come up with new legislation that specifically names the acts of animal cruelty depiction covered by the law and what acts are exempt.

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