educational

Obscenity Cases, the DOJ and You

The Department of Justice is holding a black cloud of threat over the heads of adult entertainment industry professionals and, with the pending regime change, they seem to be flexing their muscle more than usual. Obscenity — it’s the only law on the books in which the violating individual or company does not know that they’ve committed a crime until being found guilty in court.

While in office, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales acquiesced to a “moral” minority hell bent on waging war on the adult entertainment industry. As attorney general, he developed a team within the DOJ supporting the idea that this misguided, “moral” minority should be able to dictate to the rest of us what we could purchase, read, and watch in the privacy of our own homes. While Gonzales is gone, the structure he built is still alive and well through the fundamentalist prosecutors he put in place. Does he really believe that what he did helped to elevate morals and ethics in the U.S.?

Explain the ethical decision our government made when it indicted John Stagliano on the movies “Milk Nymphos” and “Storm Squirters.” Interesting that the government focused on movies in which women were taking an active sexual role. Women ejaculating — would the government have batted an eye if it were male ejaculation? Does our government believe that sexually emancipated women are immoral and unethical? Whose morals, whose ethics are we talking about here?

Where are the morals in the prosecution of the Red Rose case? In this case, our government went after an agoraphobic woman who was working through childhood abuse issues by means of a journaling chat group of 29 participants. The Justice Department went after a woman they know would never make it through a trial, a woman who would die in prison. In its generosity, the government gave her a sentence of house arrest, but she will forever have a felony obscenity conviction on her record and the government, a notch in its belt, not only for the obscenity conviction, but also for an obscenity conviction of the written word. Morals? Bull! Shame on them!

The government is behaving like nothing more than a playground bully, pounding those who can’t fight back on a level playing field. Is there a bigger sucker punch than threatening to take away someone’s livelihood, their business, their home, their very freedom, and even if the individual is found not guilty, at what cost is the indictment?

Attorney Roger Wilcox gave one of the first workshops I attended at an adult conference. In that workshop I learned that the average cost for an obscenity case is $500,000! The government can move a case forward that it has little to no chance of winning, and still significantly damage or even ruin an adult business.

Max Hardcore and John Stagliano need our help. I wish FSC could take up every one of these cases with the strength of the U.S. government but, with a budget of less than a million we would be bankrupt after one or two cases. Our litigation focuses on national cases where we can influence law for the good of the whole industry. But, while FSC can’t contribute to individual cases, I, Diane Duke as an individual, can and will contribute to help in their legal expenses.

To contribute to John Stagliano’s legal defense fund, send checks to: EA Productions, 14141 Covello Street Unit 8C, Van Nuys, CA 91405 (please write “Defend Our Porn” in the memo section of the check).

To contribute to Paul Little’s (Max Hardcore) legal defense fund, send checks to: MaxWorld Entertainment, 1333 Pleasantridge Dr. Altadena, CA 91001 (please write “Legal Defense Fund” in the memo section of the check), or email maxsteiner0001@gmail.com, or call (626) 791-5800.

Related:  

Copyright © 2024 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More Articles

opinion

How to Thwart Holiday Fraudsters With Finesse

The holiday season is a prime time for shopping. Unfortunately, it’s also peak season for credit card fraud. With increased transactions both online and in-store, fraudsters have more opportunities to exploit vulnerabilities — and they are getting better at it every day.

Jonathan Corona ·
profile

WIA Profile: Rae Threat

Threat is completely self-taught. Shooting nightlife was how she learned photography and honed her skills, experimenting with ways to shoot low-light action shots without a flash. She notes that these nightly adventures also helped her acquire social and networking skills. One thing led to another, and she soon found herself working in the adult biz.

Women In Adult ·
opinion

Girlsway Celebrates a Decade of Acclaimed Sapphic Erotica

When Girlsway launched back in 2014, Bree Mills had a plan. As head of production for Gamma Entertainment, she set out to up the stakes of all-girl content with the new imprint — and to continually, proactively reinvent the brand and its offerings along the way.

Alejandro Freixes ·
opinion

TeamSkeet Debuts Swappz Channel, 'Swapception' Feature

Chief Revenue Officer Brandon explains, “The inspiration behind ‘Swappz’ emerged from a growing market demand for niche adult content that pushes boundaries and explores the taboo themes and deal-striking handshakes of swaps.”

Alejandro Freixes ·
opinion

Goodbye to Noncompete Agreements in the US?

A noncompetition agreement, also known as a noncompete clause or covenant not to compete, is a contract between an employer and an employee, or between two companies.

Corey D. Silverstein ·
opinion

Brittney Kade Talks Big 'Career-First' for Adult Time

Brittney Kade’s first gangbang originated as an Adult Time “Director Showcase,” a creative opportunity the production team offered to Jim Powers, one of the studio’s regular producers.

Alejandro Freixes ·
opinion

Compliance With State Age Verification Laws

During the past year, website operators have faced a slew of new state age verification laws entailing a variety of inconsistent compliance obligations.

Lawrence Walters ·
opinion

On the Set: Welcome to Adult Time's 'Futa World'

Dressed revealingly in a yellow waitress uniform, Lauren Phillips greets eager customers Hailey Rose and Chloe Surreal. On a sign announcing the grand opening of “Dick’s Diner,” the apostrophe between letters k and s bears a striking resemblance to an ejaculating penis.

Alejandro Freixes ·
profile

Hayley Davies: From New Zealand Math Nerd to Fast-Rising Adult Star

Growing up, New Zealander Hayley Davies was a proud nerd who participated in mathematics competitions against students from much higher grades. Her good looks turned out to be a kind of secret weapon, causing peers to underestimate her intellectual acumen.

Alejandro Freixes ·
profile

WIA Profile: Inka Winter

Award-winning erotic filmmaker and ForPlay Films founder Inka Winter knows what she wants her films to be, and what she doesn’t want them to be. She seeks to depict sexuality that is mindful, based in human connection and trauma-informed.

Women In Adult ·
Show More