Horrible, horrible New York video game law
What is wrong with these people?!?
New York legislative is putting together a bunch of laws about video games, one of which makes sales to minors of mature games a class E felony. From Law of the Game, a blog by Mark Methenitis, we get the following:
While the law does give some leeway for the sentencing court, it theoretically allows a judge to put someone away for life for selling a copy of, say, Gears of War to a 16 year old who looks 18. Yes, selling a game could come with a life sentence under the new law.
It stems from the “3 strikes” law, where three felonies can send a person to jail for life.
Here’s the one that got passed yesterday, 8696. It’s incredibly vague, and has the EMA (Entertainment Merchants Association) all in an uproar. EMA president, Bo Anderson had this response:
This bill is ill-conceived and unconstitutional. The proposal to jail retailers and clerks for up to four years for selling certain video games to persons under age 17 is apparently based on misunderstandings about what retailers are doing currently.
And as well it should. It’s incredibly vague. Even while noting constitutional problems with the bill, members of the Assembly still voted for it.
Oh, yippie. At least they know when they’re doing something wrong.