All Headline News - Supreme Court Upholds Anti-Child Pornography Law

May 19, 2008
Kris Alingod - All Headline News (AHN) Writer

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - The Supreme Court on Monday upheld a 2003 statute by Congress prohibiting the selling and solicitation of child pornography.

The Court voted 7-2 on the case U.S. v. Williams to declare the federal law constitutional and dismiss criticisms that it was to broad in scope. The Eleventh Circuit court had previously ruled that the law violated the First Amendment.

In the majority opinion, Justice Antonin Scalia wrote, "the statute does not criminalize a substantial amount of protected expressive activity. Offers to engage in illegal transactions are categorically excluded from First Amendment protection."

"It's a well thought out decision that respects the First Amendment while reaching the proper conclusion that Congress acted appropriately and constitutionally in moving to battle child pornography online," said American Center for Law and Justice Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow, who represented the lawmakers who sponsored the statute, Protect Act of 2003. "We're very pleased that the high court moved to protect the most vulnerable of our society - our children."