Or you could look at it this way, Pat, a defense victory in the case could send a signal to the government.

from www.onenewsnow.com – A major pornography trial involving an adult film producer who has criticized the prosecution of obscenity cases is under way in Washington, DC.

John Stagliano of Evil Angel Productions and John Stagliano Inc. faces charges related to the distribution of obscene pornography — the type that cannot be described publicly.

Pat Trueman, special counsel to the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) and former chief prosecutor of Department of Justice obscenity cases, tells OneNewsNow the case is a holdover from the Bush administration, which charged more than 360 defendants with obscenity violations.

“Any obscenity case is critical because it’s going to send a signal on whether or not these cases are winnable,” Trueman notes. “So far in the whole history of the Department of Justice, virtually every case has been won.”

He thinks the material being distributed is so vial, the case ought to be won. “But believe me, if it isn’t, the pornography industry and some in government will cheer that the case is lost,” he adds.

The ADF special counsel, who recently launched the website PornHarms.com, believes a victory in this case will send a needed signal to the pornography industry. “That is that certain material is out of bounds — it’s what we call ‘obscene pornography.’ That is, it’s so hardcore that the public in an area will say ‘this violates our community standards,'” he explains.

Trueman concludes that if a jury decides the material is not obscene, they will send a message that Washington, DC, is a cesspool that the films would represent.