Federal judge throws out Minnesota's video game law

Article by: JOHN REINAN , Star Tribune
Updated: July 31, 2006 - 2:54 PM

A federal judge on Monday struck down a state law aimed at keeping violent video games out of the hands of Minnesota children, saying the state has shown no convincing evidence that children are harmed by them.

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The law, which was to have taken effect Aug. 1, barred children under 17 from buying or renting games rated for those 17 and older. The law carried a $25 fine, but even its chief sponsor said he didn't expect it to be actively enforced.

In his decision, U.S. District Judge James M. Rosenbaum wrote that the state failed to prove any harm caused by the games. The law also violates the First Amendment, which provides for freedom of speech, he wrote.

"The First Amendment . . . was certainly established to keep the government from becoming the arbiter of what constitutes 'worthless' or 'disgusting' speech," Rosenbaum wrote. "The Court declines the State's invitation to enter into an evaluation of this kind."

Rosenbaum granted a permanent injunction barring the state from enforcing the law.

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