YNOT – After dismissing two and one-half counts on Thursday, the federal judge in the Washington, D.C.-based obscenity trial of John Stagliano on Friday dismissed the remaining five and one-half counts against the adult video producer-director and his studio, Evil Angel Productions Inc.In his remarks, Judge Richard J. Leon called the prosecution’s evidence “woefully inadequate.”
Adult industry trade association Free Speech Coalition saw that one coming, Executive Director Diane Duke said.
“It is our hope that this decision will be the first step in ending the witch hunts that have been obscenity prosecutions in the U.S.,” Duke said. “Congratulations are in order for Stagliano’s defense team: Al Gelbard, Paul Cambria, Louis Sirkin and Bob Corn-Revere. Well done! Finally, FSC extends its deepest congratulations and appreciation to John [Stagliano] and [his wife] Karen and the folks at Evil Angel for their courage and their commitment to the adult industry and our personal freedoms.”
Jeffrey Douglas, a prominent First Amendment attorney and president if the FSC’s board of directors, said, “Obscenity prosecutions are a terrible misallocation of scarce resources and taxpayer dollars. Obscenity prosecutions are unnecessary and inappropriate when everyone has an ‘off’ switch. If you don’t like it, don’t watch it.”
While indictment originally included eight obscenity counts, two counts and the internet component of a third count were dismissed after an online trailer for Fetish Fanatic 5 was ruled inadmissible due to technical problems with the downloaded content.
