Federal Judge Ronald Whyte of the District Court of Northern California has issued an injunction blocking the implementation of a state law that would have made it a crime to sell or rent violent video games to a minor.  The judge's ruling mirrors a similar outcome in a case involving an Illinois law (see 'Judge Strikes Down Illinois Video Game Bill').  In the California case the Judge noted: 'It is uncertain that even if a causal link exists between violent video games and violent behavior, the First Amendment would allow a state to restrict access to violent video games, even for those under 18 years of age.' 

This latest ruling hardly settles the matter since numerous states are in the process of attempting to legislate some sort of law that would prohibit the sale of violent games to minors, and a trio of Senators including Hillary Clinton and Joseph Lieberman have introduced a bill in the U.S. Senate that would attempt to penalize retailers who did not strictly abide by the age ratings placed on games by the video game manufacturers.