Oregon Law Against Obscene Calls Voided
The Oregon Supreme Court on Tuesday unanimously overturned as unconstitutional a state law against making obscene telephone calls.
The justices had overturned an earlier law in 1979, and the Legislature enacted a new statute in 1981. But the Supreme Court said the latest version does not meet constitutional muster, either.
“This telephone harassment statute is hopelessly overbroad,” the court said in an opinion by Justice Robert Jones upholding the state Court of Appeals.
The obscene call law is part of a general statute against harassment, a misdemeanor carrying a maximum six-month jail term and $1,000 fine.
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