GamePolitics reports that the 8th Circuit Court has declined an "en banc" review of the Minnesota "fine the buyer" video game law, meaning the only place left to run for the
currently unconstitutional law is the Supreme Court of the United States. Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson hasn't said whether she'd go that far, but if she does pursue it and the justices decided to hear arguments, it would be the first time the Supreme Court dealt with a video game law case .
With the United States Supreme Court's current makeup, a game law case could go pretty badly for the industry.
Justice Antonin Scalia has said if a game law banning the sale of mature-rated games to minors ever made it to the docket he would affirm it, but that's not what the Minnesota law is about. The question before the court would be whether Minnesota would have the right to fine a minor $25 for attempting to buy an M- or AO-rated title.
(Page 1) Reader Comments
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I'm not a huge Scalia fan, but an actual law banning the sale of M or AO games to minors would give lousy parents one less cop-out when it comes to whining about children's access to M/AO games?
Silly it has come this far but it is what it is suppose.
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On the up side, this is an awesome point to use in a politics exam. And so very recet, too :-)
Its a dumbass law.
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Personally, this just doesn't look important enough. And if it is... well, the OP has it right: we're screwed.
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Figures he'd side with it. Guy's never done anything to merit the water, food, and air he's consumed
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Though what I don't get is the fine thing. If little Billy went to buy the game...how would he get the $50-$60 to buy the game in the first place? Only a few 15-17 year olds have jobs and if your 14 and under you can't get a job.
The ESRB should make T ratings double in size and M ratings triple in size on a box or something like that. Then maybe some of the dumbass parents of America won't have to worry about what is in a game. Also, put tons of ESRB ratings advertisements on TV.
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