Supreme Court Snubs Extreme Associates

The Supreme Court has refused to review a US Third Circuit Court's decision to reinstate obscenity charges against Extreme Associates owners Rob Black and Lizzy Borden. The couple's attorneys filed a writ of certiorari last month in hopes of challenging the constitutionality of the charges of interstate trafficking of obscenity they are currently facing.

Although the Court's decision came as no surprise, most people close to the case believe a criminal trial is still a long ways off.

"There are some unresolved pretrial issues including the issue that's percolating in the COPA (Child Online Protection Act) case about community standards," said Extreme co-council Jennifer M. Kinsley. "That's something that still needs to be taken care of before any sort of trial proceeding would occur, because we need to understand what standard we are talking about."

The COPA case involves the sticky issue of dealing with 'community standards' when placed in the context of the World Wide Web. In other words, is the community in question to be determined as the one where the online site originated or the one where the prude who was so offended by the site's content first viewed the material.

"I would imagine, if this case goes as I think it will go, we're not looking at a having a trial until maybe early next year," said Kinsely. "And depending on what happens with COPA, possibly not until after that."

Despite rumors that Rob and Lizzie are nearly tapped out financially from constant legal battles, the couple has vowed to see this one through. And despite mixed feelings about the duo's productions, this case has important ramifications for not only the adult entertainment industry, but for freedom of expression in general.