A Cook County judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought against the television show The Sopranos which argued the show insulted the dignity of Italian-Americans.
Judge Richard Siebel ruled that the Chicago-based American-Italian Defence Association had no standing to sue since it had suffered no injury from HBO's The Sopranos, and the show had a constitutional right to air its depiction of a fictional New Jersey mob family.
"The aria may be offensive to Verdi, but The Sopranos have the constitutional right to sing," Judge Siebel wrote in his 11-page opinion.
The 19th-century Italian composer's opera Aida spells out the acronym of the Italian-American group.
Lawyers for the group had not sought damages from HBO's owner, Time Warner Entertainment, but wanted a declaration from the judge that the Emmy-award winning show violated a "dignity clause" in the Illinois constitution which protects individuals from communications which incite hostility based on religion, race or other affiliation.
Lawyers for Time Warner arguing for a dismissal of the suit, said condemning the show in court would open it up to suits seeking monetary damages and could pave the way for censorship of other fictional works.