Utah officials react to Supreme Court violent game ruling

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff says the U.S. Supreme Court striking down a California law to regulate the sale of violent video games to minors has vindicated his stance for government to stay out of policing home entertainment.

On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court voted 7-2 to throw out California's ban on the sale or rental of violent video games to minors. The law would have prohibited the sale of such games to anyone under 18 and fined retailers up to $1,000 for each infraction. In a given day, a video game seller could face thousands of dollars in fines.

Shurtleff said much like R-rated movies and adult-language music, regulation should rest with parents and businesses.

"Nobody likes the fact that there are violent video games out there, and no one likes their kids watching them," Shurtleff said, adding parents and the gaming industry need to take responsibility for keeping violent games away from minors, just as with movies and music.

"Parents, that's the key. That's what is going to control what movies they see and what music they listen to. Video games are no different," Shurtleff told the Deseret News. He said he believes that the government shouldn't step in and substitute for parenting.

"Parents need to wake up and be aware," he said.

Still, Shurtleff got some political heat two years from proponents of a Utah bill that would allow parents to more easily sue video game retailers if they advertise that they don't sell violent games to minors and then do. Shurtleff also filed a friend of the court brief in opposition to the California law.

Bill sponsor Rep. Michael Morley, R-Spanish Fork, along with other lawmakers and the Utah Eagle Forum, criticized Shurtleff and then Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. for being politically "moderate" in opposing the bill. Morley could not be reached for comment Monday.

The bill passed with broad support by the Utah Legislature only to be vetoed by Huntsman in March 2009. Huntsman cited concerns over free speech and impact on businesses.

Shurtleff said the Supreme Court ruling was the right decision in protecting First-Amendment rights. "The government isn't always able to step in and take over the role as parent," Shurtleff said, adding he is happy with the way the video game industry has self-regulated itself. He also encouraged parents to screen their kids' games by going to the ESRB website to check a game's content rating.