Judges Object to Bad Sex Crime Laws

hat's obviously not something which should be illegal since the absurdity stands apparent if you imagine the cast of "90210" (who were in their 20s and 30s) claiming to be minors.

“That makes a great deal of sense,” Kennedy responds. And suddenly the government’s odds of winning fall to roughly zero.

In fact, only one justice—Samuel Alito—appeared inclined to rule against Lockhart on Tuesday. Every other justice seemed to lean against the government and in favor of sparing Lockhart a mandatory 10-year sentence. Presuming this near-unanimity holds until decision day, Lockhart could be a slam dunk for criminal defense attorneys—and a strong reprimand to overzealous prosecutors eager to land lengthy sentences. Everyone wants to put child pornographers, rapists, and child pornography–consuming rapists behind bars. But the justices’ message to the government on Tuesday was clear: Before you go in for the law-and-order stuff, find a law that actually makes sense.