Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton
Description: A group of activists represented by the American Civil Liberties Union is challenging a Texas law that protects minors from being exposed to explicit material online.
ADF to US Supreme Court: TX law protects children from pornography's effects
The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel and Vice President of Appellate Advocacy John Bursch regarding a friend-of-the-court brief ADF filed Thursday with the U.S. Supreme Court in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, in which a group of activists represented by the American Civil Liberties Union is challenging a Texas law that protects minors from being exposed to explicit material online:
“As the internet becomes easier and easier for minors to access, so too does explicit material. Research shows that young people exposed to pornography suffer with increased rates of depression, anxiety, violent behavior, sexual promiscuity and abuse, trafficking, and distorted views of relationships between men and women. Texas has every right to pass laws that protect children from these types of harms, and in no way do these laws tread on anyone’s constitutionally protected freedom of speech. Our legal system recognizes that the government has a vested interest in regulating obscene material, and so we are urging the U.S. Supreme Court to allow Texas to protect children from the harmful effects of pornography.”
Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, parental rights, and the sanctity of life.
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ABOUT John Bursch
John Bursch is senior counsel and vice president of appellate advocacy with Alliance Defending Freedom. Bursch has argued 12 U.S. Supreme Court cases and more than 30 state supreme court cases since 2011, and a recent study concluded that among all frequent Supreme Court advocates who did not work for the federal government, he had the 3rd highest success rate for persuading justices to adopt his legal position. Bursch served as solicitor general for the state of Michigan from 2011-2013. He has argued multiple Michigan Supreme Court cases in eight of the last ten terms and has successfully litigated hundreds of matters nationwide, including six with at least $1 billion at stake. As part of his private firm, Bursch Law PLLC, he has represented Fortune 500 companies, foreign and domestic governments, top public officials, and industry associations in high-profile cases, primarily on appeal. He received his J.D. magna cum laude in 1997 from the University of Minnesota Law School and is admitted to practice in numerous federal district and appellate courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court.