CINCINNATI (AP) — A federal appeals court has upheld the constitutionality of a law the government argued was a useful tool in fighting child pornography.
It requires producers of certain sexually explicit photographs to maintain extensive records on the individuals pictured.
Friday’s 11-6 ruling from the full 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati reverses an earlier decision from a panel of just three of the court’s judges. They struck down the law in October 2007, saying it was overly broad and restricted free speech.
The new ruling represents a setback for a Cleveland distributor of sexually explicit magazines. Connection Distributing Co. had challenged the law’s record-keeping requirements, arguing that they violated First Amendment rights.