Ashcroft v. Free Speech Coalition — Rehnquist, J., Dissenting

Summary

Chief Justice Rehnquist, dissenting, argues the Child Pornography Prevention Act of 1996 (CPPA) should be construed narrowly to avoid First Amendment overbreadth. He contends the statute can be limited to hard-core pornography and computer-generated images indistinguishable from real children, excluding materials with literary or artistic value. He would reverse the Court of Appeals and uphold the statute as interpreted. Justice O'Connor and Justice Thomas filed separate opinions.