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Little Rock, December 27 (RHC)-- In the United States, a federal judge struck down key portions of an Arkansas state law that would have allowed prosecutors to bring criminal charges against booksellers or librarians for providing minors with access to so-called harmful materials.  Offenders faced up to a year in prison. 

U.S. District Judge Timothy Brooks ruled the law violated the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution, writing: “The law deputizes librarians and booksellers as the agents of censorship; when motivated by the fear of jail time, it is likely they will shelve only books fit for young children and segregate or discard the rest.” 

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Arkansas celebrated the ruling, writing: “This was an attempt to 'thought police,' and this victory over totalitarianism is a testament to the courage of librarians, booksellers, and readers who refused to bow to intimidation.”

[ SOURCE: DEMOCRACY NOW ]