Par for the Judicial Course: Reducing Scrutiny of Laws Targeting Lawful Sexual Content

Par for the Judicial Course: Reducing Scrutiny of Laws Targeting Lawful Sexual Content

When it comes to statutes curbing access to lawful sexual content—material that’s neither obscene nor child pornographic—the US Supreme Court sometimes bends its normal First Amendment rules of review in government-friendly, speech-restrictive ways. The rules are altered either to safeguard minors or to address concerns such as property values, crime, and community beauty. A recent decision illustrates this tendency, with older rulings adding co…