Arizona Headed To Court Again Over 'Revenge Porn' Bill

By Dennis Lambert
Published: Thursday, April 9, 2015 - 12:54pm

Arizona is headed to federal court again to defend what could be an unconstitutional law aimed at protecting people from former lovers.

State lawmakers approved some changes to a "revenge porn" bill in the Legislature’s final rush to adjournment. But because the Senate adjourned early Friday morning, a fix of potential problems raised by the American Civil Liberties Union was never given final approval.

A federal judge in November gave lawmakers time to fix problems the plaintiffs said could make it a felony to publish any nude image without the permission of the person involved. But since the changes were not approved, the law remains in the form the ACLU and others found flawed.

The next step is unclear. ACLU lawyers said the judge told the two sides to report to court if a legislative fix failed. 

Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich said he’s prepared to defend the law but would prefer the law be fixed ahead of a full-blown trial.