The Nation : Porn Code Ruled Invalid

An Indianapolis ordinance that defines pornography as a violation of the civil rights of women was ruled unconstitutional by a federal appeals court in Chicago. A three-judge panel agreed that the Indianapolis municipal ordinance constituted a violation of free speech rights in a unanimous decision that affirmed a Nov. 19, 1984, ruling by U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker. The plaintiffs in the case, six trade associations representing book and magazine publishers and distributors, challenged the measure the same day it was signed into law: May 1, 1984. Indianapolis Mayor William Hudnut III and city officials responsible for enforcement of the ordinance were named as defendants in the case.