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Supreme Court Conservatives Already Hijacking the Court
The Supreme Court didn’t wait long in the 2005-2006 session to stir up some vicious controversy yesterday, handing a crippling loss to an adult book store employee who dared to show an undercover police officer a sex toy shaped like a penis.
Indeed, Ignacio Sergio Acosta was arrested after shocking the senses of that female officer by boldly suggesting that the device might even arouse and gratify her. The arrest came pursuant to a Texas law that makes it illegal to promote sexual toys shaped like sexual organs. Acosta, in turn, sued the state of Texas, arguing that the law was unconstitutional because it infringed on rights of sexual privacy.
Similar laws in Colorado, Kansas, and Louisiana have been declared unconstitutional, while they have been upheld in Texas, Georgia, and Mississippi. The appeals court in Texas had ruled that the law barring anyone from promoting such a device did not infringe on one’s right to use it. The Supreme Court, in turn, effectively held up the lower court’s decision by denying Acosta’s appeal.
There is good news, however: The law, which only applies to toys shaped like sexual organs, apparently does not ban the promotion of sex toys shaped like picture frames, Mack trucks, or 16-year-old congressional pages. Moreover, the Gillette Mach 3 Turbo also somehow slipped through regulation.
