Mark Kernes of AVN on recent obscenity case [fs]

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

---

> From: MarkKernes () aol com
> Date: Wed, 11 Aug 2004 14:27:46 EDT
> Subject: Re: [Politech] DOJ steps up obscenity prosecutions with "Susie's 
> Corral" case [fs]
> To: declan () well com
>
>
> In a message dated 8/11/04 5:58:58 AM, declan () well com writes:
>
>
> > MONTANA MAN SENTENCED TO ONE YEAR IN PRISON FOR TRANSPORTATION OF OBSCENE
> > MATERIALS
> > Bill Mercer, United States Attorney for the District of Montana, announced
> > today that during a federal court session in Billings, on July 7, 2004,
> > before U.S. District Judge Richard F. Cebull, GARY ROBINSON, a 63-year-old
> > resident of Billings, appeared for sentencing.  ROBINSON was sentenced to a
> > term of:
> > *Prison: 1 year and 1 day
> > *Special Assessment: $100
> > *Supervised Release: 3 years
> > *ROBINSON was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to charges of
> > transportation of obscene matters.  In the fall of 2002, while doing
> > business as "Suzie's Corral," ROBINSON used the United Parcel Service to
> > distribute obscene videotapes.  ROBINSON shipped the videotapes in response
> > to orders placed by customers who received the "Susie's Corral" catalog
> > through the United States mail.  The videotapes depicted bestiality and
> > defecation.
>
>
> "Steps up" might be too strong a term. For one thing, Robinson and his 
> company are not considered part of the (for want of a better term) 
> "mainstream" adult industry, since the tapes for which he was tried 
> contain bestiality, which "mainstream" adult material from established 
> producers does not. Secondly, while this is one of the first federal 
> prosecutions for obscenity in a very long time, it is of material which 
> the adult industry does not support, since we assume that animals cannot 
> consent to having sex with humans; therefore, this would be considered a 
> form of animal abuse, which "mainstream" adult video producers do not condone.
>
> That said, I think most in the adult industry would agree that putting the 
> guy in prison for a year and a day is a bit excessive.
>
> Mark Kernes, Sr. Ed., Adult Video News (AVN)
> http://www.avn.com
>
> "Posterity — you will never know how much it has cost my generation too 
> preserve your freedom. I hope you make good use of it." — John Quinncy 
> Adams, 1838

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