Seizure of Movie by Police Called Illegal

A federal judge in Oklahoma City has ruled that police unconstitutionally seized copies of the Academy Award-winning movie “The Tin Drum” last summer. In June, police officers seized copies of the 1979 film after an Oklahoma County judge said it violated a state law that bans any depiction of minors having sex. U.S. District Judge Ralph Thompson ruled that police illegally removed the film from public access. “Before public officials take such action, they must first provide the interested parties an opportunity to present their contentions, evidence and legal arguments for consideration before a court,” Thompson wrote. He reserved a decision on whether the film is child pornography and set a trial on that matter for April.