Mukasey Says He’ll ‘Review’ DOJ Obscenity Enforcement

WASHINGTON — During recent Senate confirmation hearings for Michael Mukasey, President George W. Bush’s nominee to fill the vacant U.S. Attorney General position, Mukasey said that if he is confirmed, he will reevaluate the Justice Department’s obscenity law enforcement strategy.

Senator Orrin Hatch, R-UT, raised the topic of adult entertainment, asserting that the Justice Department has in recent years compiled a “terrible record enforcing adult obscenity law.” Saying that “pornography and obscenity consumption harms individuals, families [and] communities,” Hatch asserted that the Justice Department in recent years had prosecuted “too narrow a range of obscenity.”

In his response, Mukasey appeared to agree with Hatch’s assessment, saying “I recognize that mainstream materials can have an effect of cheapening a society, objectifying women, and endangering children in a way that we can’t tolerate,” and promised to review the Justice Department’s current policy of prosecuting only “extreme” materials.

Asked for his reaction to Mukasey’s statement, Jeffrey Douglas, chairman of the Free Speech Coalition, told XBIZ that he was not worried that a major shift in obscenity prosecution strategy would take place at the Justice Department if Mukasey is confirmed.

“Frankly, that concerns me not one little bit,” Douglas said. “For any candidate looking to fill that position [Attorney General], this would be a typical response. Janet Reno might have said something very similar — it doesn’t mean that they have any intention of actually changing their prosecutorial strategy.”

Douglas noted that in the recent Five Star/JM Productions obscenity case, the jury ultimately convicted on only a single DVD out of the four in the indictment, even though much of the evidence showing that similar materials frequently were consumed in the relevant community was disallowed.

“When juries already are refusing to convict on material that can be described as ‘extreme,’ it seems naïve to believe that a future jury would turn around and convict on standard, run-of-the-mill hardcore,” Douglas said.

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 News

Dirty Cinema Launches New Paysite 'MILFuckd'

Dirty Cinema has launched a new paysite, MILFuckd.com, on its network.

Phoenix Marie Stars in Latest From Blacked

Phoenix Marie stars with Isiah Maxwell, Hollywood Cash, and Chocolate Rod in a new airtight scene from Vixen Media Group studio imprint Blacked.

Eris Jolie Stars in Latest Release From GroobyVR

Eris Jolie stars in the latest POV release from GroobyVR.

Amirah Adara, Leya Desantis & Annalisa Atomic Blonde Star in 'Wicked Games' From MixedX

Amirah Adara, Leya Desantis and Annalisa Atomic Blonde star in the latest MixedX scene, “Wicked Games.”

Brazzers Debuts Limited Series 'MILF Spa'

Brazzers has released the first installment of its new limited series, "MILF Spa."

Casey Calvert, Victoria Voxxx Star in Latest 'Lez Be Bad'

Casey Calvert stars with Victoria Voxxx in "A Gift That Keeps on Giving," the latest episode of Adult Time series "Lez Be Bad."

BiPhoria Releases Jim Powers' 'Bi Hitchhikers 2'

Jim Powers directs the second installment of the BiPhoria series “Bi Hitchhikers.”

Ariel Demure Toplines 'TS Cheaters 6' From TransSensual

Ariel Demure headlines the sixth volume of “TS Cheaters,” from Mile High Media studio imprint TransSensual.

Braindance Unveils '6DOF' VR Tech

Interactive virtual reality platform Braindance has debuted its new Six Degrees of Freedom (6DOF) VR technology.

Kalani Luana Stars in Latest From Hookup Hotshot

Kalani Luana stars with Nade Nasty in the latest release from Hookup Hotshot (HUHS).

Show More