In the never-ending debate about what does and what does not turn good little children to evil minions of Hell, an Illinois judge has come down on the side of videogames.

An AP article in Chicago Business reports:

The federal judge who ruled an Illinois law banning the sale of violent or sexual video games to minors was unconstitutional has another message for the state: Pay up.

U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly ordered this week that the state must pay more than $510,000 three business groups incurred in their successful fight over the Safe Games Illinois Act.

In December 2005, shortly before the law was to go into effect Jan. 1, Kennelly ruled in favor of the Entertainment Software Association, Video Software Dealers Association and the Illinois Retail Merchants Association and barred the state from enforcing the law.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich and others who pushed for the measure argued that exposure to games in which characters use violence or engage in sexual acts harms children. But the judge said the law would interfere with the First Amendment and that there was not a compelling enough reason, such as preventing imminent violence, to allow it go into effect.

Read the rest of the article here.

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