Obscenity Trial Suspended After Report That Judge Posted Sexual Images

[WSJ_law_blog]

This just in on the unfolding Kozinski story: Judge Alex Kozinski has suspended the obscenity trial he was overseeing in L.A. following a report in the L.A. Times today that he posted sexually explicit photos and videos to a personal Web site. He told the jury to return on Monday. Here’s the AP story.

The AP said Judge Kozinski granted a joint prosecution and defense motion to suspend the trial after the prosecution said it needed time to look into the issue.

In the case, Ira Isaacs, a filmmaker based in Los Angeles, is accused of distributing criminally obscene sexual-fetish videos depicting bestiality and defecation. Wednesday, jurors spent hours watching videos that are evidence in the case.

“My personal preference would be to walk away,” the judge said this afternoon, according to the AP. “But here we are, much is at stake. Jurors suffered through this afternoon. We do owe up to go on.”

According to the LAT article, Kozinski said that he didn’t think any of the material he posted on his Web site would qualify as obscene. “Is it prurient? I don’t know what to tell you,” he said. “I think it’s odd and interesting. It’s part of life.” Wednesday, a court spokeswoman said the judge’s son uploaded much of what was referenced in the story. For more backstory, click here.

LB Readers: Taking the judge at what the LAT reported — that he did post material — how does that play for the trial? The defense attorney in the case said he was fine with the judge staying on. (Surprised?) Presuming the judge has some familiarity with the general issues at hand, would that make him unsuited for the case, or better suited?