Parish of Jefferson v. Bayou Landing Ltd., Inc.

350 So. 2d 158
CourtSupreme Court of Louisiana
DecidedOctober 11, 1977
Docket59337
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 350 So. 2d 158 (Parish of Jefferson v. Bayou Landing Ltd., Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Parish of Jefferson v. Bayou Landing Ltd., Inc., 350 So. 2d 158 (La. 1977).

Opinion

350 So.2d 158 (1977)

PARISH OF JEFFERSON
v.
BAYOU LANDING LIMITED, INC., d/b/a Airline Highway Adult Books and Movies, et al.

No. 59337.

Supreme Court of Louisiana.

September 19, 1977.
Dissenting Opinion October 11, 1977.

*159 Michael Silvers, Silvers & Tanet, New Orleans, Glenn Zell, Atlanta, Ga., for defendants-appellants.

*160 William J. Guste, Jr., Atty. Gen., Barbara Rutledge, Asst. Atty. Gen., Harry Lee, Parish Atty., Robert H. Fray, Asst. Parish Atty., for plaintiff-appellee.

DIXON, Justice.

On June 4, 1976 the Parish of Jefferson filed suit to enjoin the defendant, Bayou Landing Limited, Inc., from "the sale, distribution, exhibition and/or display of obscene materials." Following trial, the district court rendered judgment permanently enjoining and restraining defendant from "selling, distributing, exhibiting and/or displaying obscene materials in and upon the premises located at 3936 Airline Highway, Parish of Jefferson, State of Louisiana." The defendant appealed suspensively from that judgment and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal amended and affirmed the judgment of the district court. Parish of Jefferson v. Bayou Landing Limited, Inc., 341 So.2d 23 (La.App. 4th Cir. 1976).[1] On March 9, 1977 this court granted writs to review the judgment of the Court of Appeal. 342 So.2d 868.

The facts surrounding the institution of this suit follow. The Vice Squad of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office were conducting an investigation into possible criminal violations concerning the sale of obscene materials at the premises occupied by Bayou Landing Limited, Inc., d/b/a Airline Highway Adult Books and Movies. On May 28, 1975 a detective of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office seized a quantity of books that he believed to be obscene. On May 29, 1975 another detective of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office seized a quantity of books, also believing that they were obscene. Neither detective had obtained a warrant for the seizure, but rather made the determination that these materials were obscene by reading and applying the applicable Jefferson Parish obscenity ordinance. Neither detective paid for the books. Approximately five cartons of materials were thus seized without benefit of a warrant.

On June 2, 1975 two other detectives of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office entered the defendant book store. Each officer viewed one movie, available to customers for showing in small movie viewing machines in the book store. After viewing the movies, the officers purchased three books with marked currency. On the basis of their observations the officers applied for a search warrant. In their affidavit the officers related that the books and movies depicted such acts as oral copulation, anal sex, masturbation, sadism, masochism, lesbian activity and cunnilingus. A search warrant was issued for the search of the book store, authorizing the seizure of "pornographic material to wit: Magazines, movies, projectors, recorded U. S. currency, obscene items displayed (dildos, stimulated (sic) items) . . ." The officers then executed *161 the warrant and seized some two hundred books and magazines, seventeen 8 mm movies, two 8 mm projectors and one twenty dollar bill.

On June 4, 1976, over one year later, the Parish of Jefferson filed this action pursuant to R.S. 13:4711[2] to abate and enjoin the nuisance of obscenity (as defined in R.S. 14:106) alleged to exist at the defendant book store. Prior to trial on the merits, the defendant filed numerous pre-trial motions including a motion to suppress the seven cartons of material that were seized from the defendant book store. (Two cartons were seized pursuant to the warrant). After a hearing on the motion to suppress, the trial judge held that the search warrant was valid and ruled that the materials seized pursuant to the warrant were admissible in the injunction proceeding. (While the trial judge did not specifically suppress the materials seized in the warrantless searches, none of the items so seized were admitted into evidence at trial and do not form a part of this record).

The Court of Appeal affirmed the trial judge's ruling that the evidence seized pursuant to the warrant was admissible. However, the appellate court did not consider the constitutional prohibitions against unreasonable searches and seizures of the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution and Article 1, § 5 of the Louisiana Constitution, holding that, since this was not a criminal proceeding, the constitutional proscriptions against unreasonable searches and seizures were inapplicable.

The questions thus presented by this review are: (1) are the constitutional prohibitions against unreasonable searches and seizures applicable to this proceeding and (2) if so, did the seizure of materials pursuant to this warrant comply with constitutional requirements?

The Court of Appeal held that in a civil action such as this, the Fourth Amendment relating to illegal searches and seizures was not relevant. The court reached this conclusion through an erroneous interpretation of Gulf States Theatres of Louisiana, Inc. v. Richardson, 287 So.2d 480 (La.1973).

The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution provides:

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

Article 1, § 5 of the Louisiana Constitution provides:

"Every person shall be secure in his person, property, communications, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches, seizures, or invasions of privacy. No warrant shall issue without probable cause supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, the persons or things to be seized, and the lawful purpose or reason for the search. Any person adversely affected by a search or seizure conducted in violation of this Section shall have standing to raise its illegality in the appropriate court."

Neither constitutional provision restricts its applicability to criminal cases. The United States Supreme Court has specifically applied the protections of the First and Fourth Amendments when allegedly obscene material is sought to be regulated in civil proceedings. In Marcus v. Search Warrant of Property, etc., 367 U.S. 717, 81 S.Ct. 1708, 6 L.Ed.2d 1127 (1961), the state had brought a civil forfeiture proceeding against the defendant due to his sale of allegedly obscene materials. In that case a circuit judge had signed numerous search warrants authorizing:

*162 "`. . . any peace officer in the State of Missouri * * * [to] search the said premises * * * within 10 days after the issuance of this warrant by day or night, and * * * seize * * * [obscene materials] and take same into your possession * * *.'" 367 U.S. at 722, 81 S.Ct. at 1711, 6 L.Ed.2d at 1131.

The Supreme Court held that the evidence seized pursuant to the warrants must be suppressed and that states were not free to adopt whatever procedures they pleased to deal with obscenity without regard to constitutionally protected speech.

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