Pornography: Ban for Kids?

Despite its reluctance to uphold censorship, the Supreme Court has more than once hinted that laws carefully and narrowly aimed at creating a ban for juveniles might well be constitutional. Taking the hint, New York State passed a statute in 1965 making it a crime to sell to anyone under 17 any material that presents a salacious view of "nudity, sexual conduct or sado-masochistic abuse." Similarly inspired, Dallas enacted a municipal ordinance empowering a nine-man board to label films as "not suitable for young persons"; movie theaters can be fined $200 for admitting anyone under 16 to such a...

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