Judge refuses to extend ban on Falwell interview

February 3, 1981

A federal judge refused to extend his order banning the distribution of Penthouse magazine, ruling the constitutional right to free speech outweighed any damage to the Rev. Jerry Falwell that may result from an interview in the magazine's March issue. Mr. Falwell, a broadcast evangelist and founder of Moral Majority, had obtained a temporaty order blocking circulation of 5 million copies of the magazine that contained an interview that Mr. Falwell said was obtained under f alse pretenses.