Judge in Loudoun Case Knows Her Libraries

Staff -- School Library Journal, 4/1/1998

Whatever her decision in the Internet filtering lawsuit against Loudoun County (VA) Public Library, no one can say Judge Leonie Brinkema doesn't understand libraries. That's because Brinkema is a librarian.

The judge earned her library degree from Rutgers University in 1970. Now a U.S. District Court Judge for the Eastern District of Virginia, Brinkema was expected to rule in the much-watched Loudoun County case as early as the end of March. (For earlier SLJ Online coverage, see "VA Library Filters Net for Kids and Adults," November 17, 1997; "Library Challenged On Use Of Internet Filters," December 29,1997; and "Virginia Library Defends Net Filters," February 9, 1998.)

At a hearing February 27 on a motion to dismiss the suit, Brinkema indicated she might grant "summary judgment" in the matterñdeciding whether the Internet policy is legal without further hearings, according to Bob Corn-Revere of the law firm of Hogan & Hartson. The Washington, DC, firm represents Mainstream Loudoun, the civil liberties group that brought the lawsuit, along with the national group People for the American Way.