City Sued on Video Game Law

I N D I A N A P O L I S, Aug. 22, 2000 -- Two video game industry groups have filed alawsuit claiming a new city law banning minors from playing violentand sexually explicit video games is unconstitutional.

The law requires coin-operated games featuring graphic violenceor strong sexual content to have warning labels and be kept atleast 10 feet from nonviolent game machines. The machines must alsobe separated by a curtain or wall so minors cannot see them. Thelaw bars people under age 18 from such games unless accompanied bya parent or guardian.

The American Amusement Machine Association and the Amusement andMusic Operators Association hope to obtain a temporary restrainingorder to keep the law from taking effect Sept. 1. They say theysupport the city’s desire to curb juvenile violence, but believethe ordinance violates First Amendment rights.

Slippery Slope“What’s next after banning video games depicting violence?”AMOA president Frank Seninsky said Monday in a statement. “Movies?Books? ... We are on the edge of a slippery slope, and our industryhas been forced to litigate to protect core constitutionalrights.”

The federal lawsuit names Mayor Bart Peterson, Marion CountyProsecutor Scott Newman and city and county law officers who wouldenforce the ordinance.

Mayoral spokesman Steve Campbell said the city expected alawsuit over the ordinance — believed to be the first of its kind — but remains confident it will meet constitutional muster.

“We can’t ever guarantee anything that goes on in a court oflaw, but we did our homework on this one,” Campbell said. “We didquite a bit of research to make sure that this would stand up underjudicial scrutiny.”