Joel Tyler, the judge who ruled that "Deep Throat" was obscene and unintentionally catapulted 
the film and its star Linda Lovelance to the status of cultural icons, has died at 90, The New York Times reports.
In a colorfully-written opinion against the film which he ruled was obscene, the New York judge wrote in 1973:
“Oh, yes! There is a gossamer of a story line — the heroine’s all-engrossing search for sexual gratification, and when all sexual endeavors fail to gratify, her unique problem is successfully diagnosed to exist in her throat,” he wrote referring to the plot point that Lovelace's clitoris was in her throat.
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He added: “The alleged story lines are the facade, the sheer negligee through which clearly shines the producer’s and the defendant’s true and only purpose, that is, the presentation of unmistakably hard-core pornography.”
The ruling led to the movie being banned in many states, but it also added to its must-see pedigree. The movie ultimately made about $600 million. And the case became a major milestone in the culture wars that would rage between conservatives and liberals for the next several decades.
Tyler died on November 9 of last year, but his family only chose to reveal his passing now, the newspaper reported.
A biopic about Linda Lovelace is currently in production, with Amanda Seyfried playing the porn star and Adam Brody playing her co-star Harry Reems.