Puerto Rico Suits

At first, the newspaper and the politician were reasonably friendly. The newspaper dutifully described the politician's game plan, outlined all his innovations. The government paid millions of dollars for legal ads in the paper. Then, one day, the newspaper started writing articles that the politician did not like. The government pulled out the ads, saying they were too expensive. It made trouble for a business run by the newspaper's owners, saying they did not have proper licenses and permits.

At first, the newspaper and the politician were reasonably friendly. The newspaper dutifully described the politician's game plan, outlined all his innovations. The government paid millions of dollars for legal ads in the paper. Then, one day, the newspaper started writing articles that the politician did not like. The government pulled out the ads, saying they were too expensive. It made trouble for a business run by the newspaper's owners, saying they did not have proper licenses and permits.

The Supreme Court today refused to let Puerto Rico prosecute some cable TV systems for carrying the Playboy Channel, rebuffing arguments that a lower court ruling unduly hampered states' anti-obscenity efforts. The justices, without comment, let stand rulings that such prosecutions are preempted by federal law. In another obscenity case today, the court upheld an Illinois law that lets authorities seize the property of businesses convicted at least twice of obscenity violations.

The Supreme Court today refused to let Puerto Rico prosecute some cable TV systems for carrying the Playboy Channel, rebuffing arguments that a lower court ruling unduly hampered states' anti-obscenity efforts. The justices, without comment, let stand rulings that such prosecutions are preempted by federal law. In another obscenity case today, the court upheld an Illinois law that lets authorities seize the property of businesses convicted at least twice of obscenity violations.