Bambi does Artisia — Porn and emotional distress in CA.

In the case of McCombs v. Value Lodge Enterprises, a California jury found a Value Lodge Motel in Artisa, CA liable for $85,000 in emotional distress damages for failing to block pornography from its in-room entertainment system. In this case, a family checked into the defendant’s hotel. While their mother was in the bathroom, two girls aged 8 and 9 switched channels from a children’s program to a hard core pornography channel. They alleged that the hotel was negligent in that it failed to equip its televisions with a blocking system and the viewing caused them emotional distress. The jury agreed.