The Electronic Privacy Information Center, in conjunction with the American Civil Liberties Union and 18 other organizations, has initiated a constitutional challenge to the Communications Decency Act. EPIC is participating as both co-counsel and plaintiff. The lawsuit -- ACLU v. Reno -- was filed in federal court in Philadelphia on February 8 and sought a declaration that the statute is unconstitutional. The ACLU/EPIC case was consolidated with a companion lawsuit subsequently filed by the American Library Association and other plaintiffs. On June 12, 1996, a special three-judge court ruled in plaintiffs' favor and enjoined enforcement of the statute.
The U.S. Justice Department appealed the decision. On December 6, 1996, the U.S. Supreme Court noted probable jurisdiction and set a briefing schedule. The case -- now known as Reno v. ACLU -- will be argued before the Court on March 19. Materials on the litigation, including significant court documents, will be available at this page as the case proceeds.
Full Text of the decision (238K)
Excerpts from decision (easier to download and digest)
Main Briefs
Amicus Briefs
Brief of the American Association of University Professors and twenty other groups.
Brief of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and the Student Press Law Center.
Brief of AppolloMedia and Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom (BALIF).
Brief of Site Specific, Inc. and Jon Lebkowsky.
The plaintiffs in the ACLU/EPIC challenge had filed a motion for summary affirmance with the Court, asserting that the decision of the special three-judge court is so clearly correct that full briefing and argument is not required to resolve the issue.
Motion for summary affirmance (October 31, 1996)
March 21 (plaintiffs' case) (morning) and (afternoon)
March 22 (plaintiffs' case) (morning) and (afternoon)
April 1 (plaintiffs' case) (morning) and (afternoon)
April 12 (government's case) (morning) and (afternoon)
April 15 (government's case) (complete session)
May 10 (closing arguments) (morning) and (afternoon)
The following reports describe the proceedings in Philadelphia leading up to the historic decision:
May 10:
April 15:
ACLU Update on final day of proceedings
c|net News: April 15 proceedings
Plaintiff Declan McCullagh's report on April 15 proceedings
April 12:
ACLU Update on fourth day of proceedings
c|net News: April 12 proceedings
Plaintiff Declan McCullagh's report on April 12 proceedings
April 1:
ACLU Update on third day of proceedings
USA Today: April 1 proceedings
c|net News: April 1 proceedings
Plaintiff Declan McCullagh's report on April 1 proceedings (and report on the
status of a separate CDA challenge pending in federal court in New York City)
March 21 and 22:
ACLU Update on first two days of proceedings
c|net News: March 21 and March 22
CNN Interactive: March 21 and March 22
The Ethical Spectacle (reports by plaintiff Jonathan Wallace): March 21 and March 22
Plaintiffs' post-trial brief in support of motion for a preliminary injunction
Friend of the court brief in support of plaintiffs filed by Authors Guild, American Society of Journalists and Authors, and other parties
Trial declarations of plaintiffs' witnesses Howard Rheingold and Barry Steinhardt
Stipulation that the government will not enforce the CDA pending the conclusion of the litigation (February 23, 1996)
Text of the decision partially granting the TRO (February 15, 1996)
Plaintiffs' brief in support of motion for temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction
Government's brief opposing motion for temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction
EPIC's affidavit explaining the effect of censorship on its educational mission
EPIC's statement on the lawsuit
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