In a decision sure to infuriate animal welfare organizations and anyone else concerned about animal abuse, the Supreme Court of the United States on April 20 ruled that a federal law used to convict a person of selling dog fighting videos was unconstitutional. By an 8-1 vote, the Court in United States v. Stevens held that 18 U.S.C. ¤ 48, Depiction of Animal Cruelty, was substantially overbroad and created a criminal prohibition of “alarming breadth.” The decision was written by Chief Justice Roberts; Justice Alito offered the only dissent.

The decision creates a serious dilemma. On one hand I think that animal abuse laws should be strengthened and that violators should be punished to the full extent of the law. On the other hand, as a writer, I fear any heavy-handed government attempt to restrict the freedom of speech guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution