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BREAKING: YOU CAN LEGALLY WATCH R-RATED MOVIES IN INDIANA
ITEM: Southern Indiana prosecutor Stan Levco announces that he has decided not to file criminal charges against stores in Vanderburgh County hosting DVD rental kiosks like Redbox for distributing “harmful matter” to minors in the form of any movie that doesn’t have a “G” rating.
An excerpt from the letter:
Levco now says he believes a trial against Redbox and other movie kiosk owners would be a waste of his resources and that a non-guilty verdict would be returned.
I’m sure the fact that Redbox requires a credit card – which (I assume) most American kids don’t have – was a factor.
All of which is worth mentioning partly because Levco was initially proposing to classify any film rated PG or higher as “harmful matter” (which in Indiana would mean that letting yr kid watch any such film could technically be a Class D felony), but also because the whole cockamamy idea came from another lawyer who represents several local video store owners who didn’t like the competition.
In other words, they were basically invoking the “protect the children” argument for censorship as a ploy to take business away from Redbox by limiting consumer choices.
And people say I’M cynical.
Out of the box,
This is dF
In January, Levco's office sent letters to stores like Walmart, Schnucks and Walgreens that have a Redbox or similar machines on their property.
He says he asked them to stop renting R rated movies or he would consider filing charges.
He says he asked them to stop renting R rated movies or he would consider filing charges.
An excerpt from the letter:
"We suggest that the machine or machines dispensing these materials at your location no longer provide access to videos, movies, games" and other material that are unrated or have ratings of R or even PG, the letter says.
Levco now says he believes a trial against Redbox and other movie kiosk owners would be a waste of his resources and that a non-guilty verdict would be returned.
I’m sure the fact that Redbox requires a credit card – which (I assume) most American kids don’t have – was a factor.
All of which is worth mentioning partly because Levco was initially proposing to classify any film rated PG or higher as “harmful matter” (which in Indiana would mean that letting yr kid watch any such film could technically be a Class D felony), but also because the whole cockamamy idea came from another lawyer who represents several local video store owners who didn’t like the competition.
In other words, they were basically invoking the “protect the children” argument for censorship as a ploy to take business away from Redbox by limiting consumer choices.
And people say I’M cynical.
Out of the box,
This is dF