RA ' s ▁former ▁and ▁current ▁pres idents ▁Ken ▁Howard ▁and ▁Gab ri elle ▁Carter is , ▁who ▁felt ▁that ▁the ▁law ▁would ▁help ▁to ▁reduce ▁age ism ▁in ▁the ▁entertain ment ▁industry . ▁On ▁ 2 3 ▁February ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁Judge ▁V ince ▁G ird h ari ▁Ch hab ria ▁issued ▁a ▁stay ▁on ▁the ▁bill ▁pending ▁a ▁further ▁trial , ▁claim ing ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁" diff icult ▁to ▁imagine ▁how ▁AB ▁ 1 6 8 7 ▁could ▁not ▁viol ate ▁the ▁First ▁Am end ment " ▁because ▁it ▁in hib ited ▁the ▁public ▁consumption ▁of ▁fact ual ▁information . ▁In ▁February ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁G ird h ari ▁ruled ▁that ▁the ▁law ▁was ▁un const itution al , ▁arg uing ▁that ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁California ▁"[ had ] ▁not ▁shown ▁that ▁partially ▁elimin ating ▁one ▁source ▁of ▁age - related ▁information ▁will ▁appreci ably ▁dimin ish ▁the ▁amount ▁of ▁age ▁disc rim ination ▁occurr ing ▁in ▁the ▁entertain ment ▁industry ." ▁The ▁r uling ▁was ▁critic ized ▁by ▁S AG - AF T RA , ▁alleg ing ▁that ▁the ▁court ▁" in correct ly ▁concluded ▁there ▁were ▁no ▁material ▁disput ed ▁fact ual ▁issues , ▁while ▁pre cluding ▁the ▁parties ▁from ▁acqu iring ▁additional ▁evidence ▁or ▁perm itting ▁the ▁case ▁to ▁go ▁to ▁trial ". ▁ ▁European ▁Union ▁The ▁European ▁citizens hip ▁provides ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁protection ▁from ▁disc rim ination ▁on ▁the ▁grounds ▁of ▁age . ▁According ▁to ▁Article ▁ 2 1