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SCOTUS to review case involving Bork porn video rental list law
| ....,.,.;;;,.,,:,.,.,::,.....,:.,..,.. | 01/26/26 |
| ....,.,.;;;,.,,:,.,.,::,.....,:.,..,.. | 01/26/26 |
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Date: January 26th, 2026 9:40 AM Author: ....,.,.;;;,.,,:,.,.,::,.....,:.,..,.. https://x.com/joshgerstein/status/2015795606770368937?s=46 (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5826798&forum_id=2).#49619754) |
Date: January 26th, 2026 9:40 AM Author: ....,.,.;;;,.,,:,.,.,::,.....,:.,..,.. Background on this law:
In 1987, Robert Bork was nominated to the Supreme Court by President Ronald Reagan. During the highly contentious confirmation hearings, a reporter for the Washington City Paper named Michael Dolan decided to investigate Bork’s character by looking at his movie rental history.
Dolan went to "Circus Video" in Washington, D.C., and simply asked for a list of what the Judge had been renting. The clerk handed over a list of 146 titles.
The publication of Bork's rental history caused an immediate bipartisan uproar. While the list itself was mundane—full of Hitchcock films and harmless dramas—the fact that a public figure's private interests could be so easily exposed terrified lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
Members of Congress realized that if a Supreme Court nominee’s video habits weren't safe, neither were theirs.
Congress acted with uncharacteristic speed. The VPPA was drafted and passed in 1988, earning it the nickname "The Bork Bill." |