Federal judge blocks anti-smoking images required on tobacco products

cnn.com ^ | 2/29/12 | Bill Mears

[ColdOne]

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A federal mandate requiring tobacco companies to place graphic images on their products warning of the dangers of smoking was tossed out Wednesday by a judge in Washington, with the judge saying the requirements were a violation of free speech.

"Unfortunately, because Congress did not consider the First Amendment implications of this legislation, it did not concern itself with how the regulations could be narrowly tailored to avoid unintentionally compelling commercial speech," said federal Judge Richard Leon in his 19-page ruling.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

If you are going to require photos of rotted lungs on cigarette packages in the name of truth in advertising, then you also need to require photos of garbage bags full of fetal body parts on the front doors of Planned Parenthood's abortion factories.

[SmithL]

Leon, Richard J.

Born 1949 in South Natick, MA

Federal Judicial Service:
Judge, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
Nominated by George W. Bush on September 10, 2001, to a seat vacated by Norma Holloway Johnson; Confirmed by the Senate on February 14, 2002, and received commission on February 19, 2002.

Education:
College of the Holy Cross, A.B., 1971
Suffolk Law School, J.D., 1974
Harvard Law School, LL.M., 1981

Professional Career:
Law clerk, Massachusetts Superior Court, 1974-1975
Law clerk, Hon. Thomas F. Kelleher, Supreme Court of Rhode Island, 1975-1976
Attorney, Immigration and Naturalization Service, U.S. Department of Justice, 1976-1977
Special assistant U.S. attorney, Civil Division, U.S Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York, 1977-1978
Assistant professor of law, St. John's University School of Law, 1979-1983
Senior trial attorney, Criminal Section, Tax Division, U.S. Department of Justice, 1983-1987
Deputy chief minority counsel, Select 'Iran-Contra' Committee, U.S. House of Representatives, 1987-1988
Deputy assistant U.S. attorney general, Environment & Natural Resources Division, U.S. Department of Justice, 1988-1989
Private practice, Washington, DC, 1989-2002
Commissioner, White House Fellows Commission, 1990-1993
Chief minority counsel, 'October Surprise' Task Force, Foreign Affairs Committee, U.S. House of Representatives, 1992-1993
Special counsel, 'Whitewater Investigation,' Banking, Finance & Urban Affairs Committee, U.S. House of Representatives, 1994
Adjunct professor, Georgetown University School of Law, 1997-present
Special counsel, Ethics Reform Task Force, U.S. House of Representatives, 1997
Commissioner, Judicial Review Commission on Foreign Asset Control, 2000-2001

[BigLittle]

If you are going to require photos of rotted lungs on cigarette packages in the name of truth in advertising, then you also need to require photos of garbage bags full of fetal body parts on the front doors of Planned Parenthood's abortion factories

Brilliant!

[Libloather]

Anti-drinking image?

[Dogbert41]

[SunkenCiv]

Next, cigarette ads back on the air?

Thanks ColdOne.

[Publius6961]

Bookmark

[Boogieman]

Or this...

[Just another Joe]

That ain’t good enough. She can still hold her hair back.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

*

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Nanny State PING!

[Still Thinking]

If you are going to require photos of rotted lungs on cigarette packages in the name of truth in advertising, then you also need to require photos of garbage bags full of fetal body parts on the front doors of Planned Parenthood's abortion factories.

That is true, and still doesn't prove the tobacco rule is wrong!

[Mears]

Well a sensible ruling for a change.

And I was all set to buy a really nice cigarette case to hide the scare tactics.