The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit recently made a significant affirmation in the case of Netflix Inc. The court upheld a ruling that the Tyler County district attorney acted in “bad faith” and prosecuted Netflix over allegations of streaming child pornography with ill intent.
The decision, detailed in a measured 28-page opinion by Circuit Judge Don Willett, was part of the proceedings in Netflix v. Lucas Babin. This case broadly involves the streaming of a French film titled “Cuties”. The controversial film, which focuses on a young Senegalese French girl with a Muslim upbringing pursuing modern dance, sparked legal action against the streaming giant.
The court has upheld a preliminary injunction preventing the district attorney from proceeding with four criminal indictments connected to the film’s streaming. With no small amount of consequence, this state district criminal case began to run parallel to a federal case. As the matter developed, it garnered powerful attention and resulted in friend-of-the-court briefs from 25 organizations that advocate for First Amendment rights on appeal.
For further details, you can read more about it on the original article.