Case Law Index
federal2010
Additional Highlights:First AmendmentAnimal CrueltyCategorical Exceptions
United States v. Stevens
United States Supreme Court
Key Holding
A federal law criminalizing the commercial creation, sale, or possession of certain depictions of animal cruelty is unconstitutional as a substantial overbreadth in violation of the First Amendment.
Case Summary
United States v. Stevens struck down a federal statute targeting dogfighting videos and other depictions of animal cruelty, declining to create a new categorical exception to the First Amendment for such depictions and finding the law substantially overbroad.