03/02/2020
UNITED STATES V. AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSN., INC.
LII > Supreme Court
UNITED STATES V. AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSN., INC. (02-361) 539 U.S. 194 (2003)
201 F. Supp. 2d 401, reversed.
Syllabus
Opinion
[ Rehnquist
]
Concurrence
[ Kennedy ]
Concurrence
[ Breyer ]
Dissent
[ Stevens
]
Dissent
[ Souter ]
HTML
version
PDF version
HTML version
PDF version
HTML version
PDF version
HTML version
PDF version
HTML
version
PDF version
HTML
version
PDF version
Opinion of Rehnquist, C. J.
NOTICE: This opinion is subject to formal revision before publication in the
preliminary print of the United States Reports. Readers are requested to notify the
Reporter of Decisions, Supreme Court of the United States, Washington, D. C. 20543,
of any typographical or other formal errors, in order that corrections may be made
before the preliminary print goes to press.
SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES
No. 02—361
UNITED STATES, et al., APPELLANTS v. AMERICAN
LIBRARY ASSOCIATION, INC., et al.
ON APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN
DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA
[June 23, 2003]
Chief Justice Rehnquist announced the judgment of the Court and delivered an
opinion, in which Justice O’Connor, Justice Scalia, and Justice Thomas joined.
To address the problems associated with the availability of Internet pornography in
public libraries, Congress enacted the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA), 114
Stat. 2763A—335. Under CIPA, a public library may not receive federal assistance to
provide Internet access unless it installs software to block images that constitute
obscenity or child pornography, and to prevent minors from obtaining access to
material that is harmful to them. The District Court held these provisions facially
invalid on the ground that they induce public libraries to violate patrons’ First
Amendment rights. We now reverse.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/02-361.ZO.html
1/13