Filter-Free Library Wins Again

year-old boy who was angry that the child was able to use unfiltered library computers to download sexually explicit pictures in 1997. And now, for the second time, her suit was dismissed. \n The ruling came from Alameda County Superior Court Judge George C. Hernandez, who dismissed the suit against the city without comment. The ruling was hailed by free speech advocates as a victory against censorship. It sets an important precedent for libraries in California and across the nation, said an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, which filed a brief on behalf of the city. \n In her suit, the Livermore mother, backed by the conservative Pacific Justice Institute, claimed her son went to the library 10 times to download pornographic pictures. Then he took his floppy disk to the home of a relative to print out the pictures and show friends at school. \n The first suit claimed the city of creating a public nuisance, just as if it were running a house of prostitution or dealing in drugs. Judge Hernandez threw that suit out, ruling that federal law protects libraries from being sued over what people see on the Internet. \n Then an amended suit was filed, charging that the city, by transmitting sexually explicit material, interfered with the constitutional rights of parent and child. Judge Hernandez rejected that argument, as well. \n Library policy is to make Internet access available to all and leave it up to parents to monitor the actions of their children. \n A case last year in Virginia resulted in a federal court ruling that forced a library to remove filters from computers with Internet access. However, the ruling did not prohibit the library from putting a filter on some computers designated for use by children.Meanwhile, Flynt continued to make headlines on another front, thanks to an offer he made earlier to pay up to $1 million for information that demonstrated the hypocrisy of \n Michael Millen, a lawyer for the mother, said the ruling by Judge Hernandez will be appealed. He said he also expects Congress to consider new laws to keep schools and libraries from allowing minors to see adult content on the Internet.