A Arkansas law supported by Republicans Allowing criminal charges to be brought against librarians and booksellers for providing “harmful” or “obscene” material to minors was blocked by a federal judge in a ruling Monday that declared some elements of the policy too vague and unconstitutional.
“The law authorizes librarians and booksellers as agents of censorship; when motivated by fear of imprisonment, they are likely to shelve only those books appropriate for young children and segregate or discard the rest,” U.S. District Judge Timothy Brooks of the Western District Court said. The District of Arkansas wrote in its ruling.
Act 372, signed by Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders last year, would have created new ways to challenge allegedly age-inappropriate library materials and demand their removal.
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An Arkansas law that would have made it a crime to make inappropriate material available to minors has faced challenges in court. (At Photos Ltd/Corbis via Getty Images)
Brooks had previously temporarily blocked the law, According to local reportsjust days before it was scheduled to take effect, but sided with the 18 plaintiffs who suggested that two key provisions in the law were too vague and violated First Amendment protections this week.
Separate report He stated that Brooks objected to a provision of the law because it gives anyone the power to appeal a library decision, including interest groups outside of Arkansas.
The first section, which was one of the provisions ruled unconstitutional, would have imposed a misdemeanor penalty of up to one year in prison for librarians, booksellers, etc. who make inappropriate media “available” to minors.
Plaintiffs challenged Sections I and V of Arkansas Statute 372. (Fox News Digital)
Section Five, the other disputed provision, would have imposed “a new procedure for libraries, city councils, and county quorum courts to follow when evaluating a citizen’s request to move or remove a book from the permanent collection of a public library.” According to Brooks' ruling.
Brooks thought The text was too vague, particularly through its use of terms such as “appropriate” and not providing clearer requirements for restricting access to books.
Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin told The Associated Press in a statement that he “respects the court's ruling” but intends to appeal.
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Fox News Digital reached out to the attorney general's office for further comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
