Douglas: Return of Obscenity Prosecutions Unlikely, Even Under Barr (YNOT)

Read the full article by Gene Zorkin at YNOT.com 

When President Donald Trump announced his plan to nominate William Barr as the new Attorney General of the United States, it’s safe to say many adult industry eyebrows were raised.

Barr has long been known for his socially conservative views, including past calls for the government to promote legislation which will “restrain sexual immorality.” He also had a reputation for being enthusiastic about the prosecution of obscenity cases, back when he served as attorney general under George H.W. Bush in the early 90s.

Some in the adult industry are now understandably concerned that with Barr at the helm, the U.S. Dept. of Justice may begin a new wave of federal obscenity prosecutions. One conservative news outlet has gone so far as to claim the porn industry is actively bracing itself for a “crackdown on filth.”

YNOT recently sat down with attorney Jeffrey Douglas, the Board Chair of the Free Speech Coalition, to get his take on Barr and the prospect of renewed obscenity prosecutions under his stewardship of the DOJ. 

Gene Zorkin has been covering legal and political issues for various adult publications (and under a variety of different pen names) since 2002.