Virginia Book Obscenity Case Tossed; Law Found Unconstitutional

A former Virginia Republican congressional candidate lost a bid Tuesday to have two books declared obscene for minors under Virginia law, as a state judge found the law unconstitutional and also said it doesn’t allow a separate standard for minors.

Virginia Republican Tommy Altman sought declarations under a decades-old Virginia law that “Gender Queer,” by Maia Kobabe, and “A Court of Mist and Fury,” by Sarah J. Maas are obscene for minors, and a ban on their sale to minors.

The law allows a person to file a petition seeking a judgment that a book is obscene. There isn’t a ...