Supreme Court Set to Hear Key Hunting Case 

On Tuesday, Oct. 6, the Supreme Court of the United States will hear arguments in the case U.S. v. Stevens, the outcome of which could have a significant impact on free speech and the future of the hunting and outdoor media.

At issue in U.S. v. Stevens, No. 08-769, is a 1999 federal law (18 USC § 48) that makes it a crime to create, sell or possess videos and other depictions of cruelty to animals. Section 48 broadly proclaims that “the term ‘depiction of animal cruelty’ means any visual or auditory depiction, including any photograph, motion-picture film, video recording, electronic image, or sound recording of conduct in which a living animal is intentionally maimed, mutilated, tortured, wounded, or killed, if such conduct is illegal under Federal law or the law of the State in which the creation, sale, or possession takes place, regardless of whether the maiming, mutilation, torture, wounding, or killing took place in the State.”

The law is so broad that it could be construed to include images and depictions of legal hunting activities.

“We have a history in this country of outdoor reporting of hunting and fishing, and this case could potentially eliminate hunting and fishing TV, and even your favorite outdoor magazine,” said Bill Miller, executive producer of North American Outdoors Television.