Paula Houston
Encyclopedia
Paula Houston was Utah
's Obscenity and Pornography Complaints Ombudsman or "porn czar." She was the czar from 2001-2003. Before rising to her post, she was a prosecutor
.
Houston grew up in Columbia Falls, Montana
, and graduated from Brigham Young University
.
The role of the Obscenity and Pornography Complaints Ombudsman was to provide resources for residents attempting to curb the unwelcome presence of pornography
in their neighbourhoods and on the Internet
. Houston came under fire on several fronts during her brief tenure. Critics doubted she could remain objective and fair in regards to pornography, given the fact that she was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which vehemently opposes pornography. The American Civil Liberties Union
opposed the creation of such a position, describing it as unnecessary given existing laws and feared Houston might violate due process, and First Amendment
Rights.
The position was part of the attorney general
's office and in its creation, the annual budget for the "porn czar" was $150,000. So when the Attorney General's office had to cut $750,000 from its budget, Houston's job was made redundant.
http://www.dazereader.com/utahpornczar.htm
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
's Obscenity and Pornography Complaints Ombudsman or "porn czar." She was the czar from 2001-2003. Before rising to her post, she was a prosecutor
Prosecutor
The prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the common law adversarial system, or the civil law inquisitorial system...
.
Houston grew up in Columbia Falls, Montana
Columbia Falls, Montana
Columbia Falls is a city in Flathead County, Montana, United States. The population was 3,645 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Columbia Falls is located at ....
, and graduated from Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
.
The role of the Obscenity and Pornography Complaints Ombudsman was to provide resources for residents attempting to curb the unwelcome presence of pornography
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
in their neighbourhoods and on the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
. Houston came under fire on several fronts during her brief tenure. Critics doubted she could remain objective and fair in regards to pornography, given the fact that she was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which vehemently opposes pornography. The American Civil Liberties Union
American Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union is a U.S. non-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." It works through litigation, legislation, and...
opposed the creation of such a position, describing it as unnecessary given existing laws and feared Houston might violate due process, and First Amendment
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
Rights.
The position was part of the attorney general
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
's office and in its creation, the annual budget for the "porn czar" was $150,000. So when the Attorney General's office had to cut $750,000 from its budget, Houston's job was made redundant.
http://www.dazereader.com/utahpornczar.htm