The Supreme Court of the United States is currently overseeing a trial about a California state law that could change video games in their current form.

AB 1179 was written by state Sen. Leland Yee, the California state senator for the local district, including Skyline College. Yee’s intent is to keep violent video games out of the hands of children in hopes of shielding them from the violent visualizations present in some games.

Yee has historically been an advocate of First Amendment rights and was a recipient of The Beacon Award from the First Amendment Coalition, which is presented to individuals who fight to keep government open.

AB 1179 has received national attention because it would essentially strip First Amendment protections from video games.

One of the arguments against the proposed law is that if First Amendment protections for video games are removed, then another state could choose to ban certain games that are subversive to the state’s agenda. This could then affect the rest of the country because gaming companies might be inclined to not make a game that would be banned in certain markets.

“The California law at issue today, before this court, differs from the New York law at issue in Ginsberg in only one respect,” said Deputy California Attorney General Zackery Morazzini in his opening statement. “Where New York was concerned with minors’ access to harmful sexual material outside the guidance of a parent, California is no less concerned with a minor’s access to the deviant level of violence that is presented in a certain category of video games that can be no less harmful to the development of minors.”

Morazzini’s opening argument was interrupted by Justice Antonin Scalia, who then went on to interject several more times as Morazzini answered questions.

“Some of the Grimm’s fairy tales are quite grim, to tell you the truth,” said Scalia to Morazzini.

Morazzini replied “Agreed, Your Honor. But the level of violence…” before he was interrupted by Scalia again.

“Are they okay? Are you going to ban them, too?” asked Scalia.

“Not at all, Your Honor.” said Morazzini.

Other justices were also concerned with the the ramifications of censorship.

“One of the studies, the Anderson study, says that the effect of violence is the same for a Bugs Bunny episode as it is for a violent video,” said Justice Sonia Sotomayor. “So can the legislature now, because it has that study, say we can outlaw Bugs Bunny?”

While the justices have not yet made a ruling, the Supreme Court traditionally favors protecting the First Amendment.