People v. Samuels

250 Cal. App. 2d 501, 58 Cal. Rptr. 439, 1967 Cal. App. LEXIS 2132
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 28, 1967
DocketCrim. 5577
StatusPublished
Cited by23 cases

This text of 250 Cal. App. 2d 501 (People v. Samuels) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Samuels, 250 Cal. App. 2d 501, 58 Cal. Rptr. 439, 1967 Cal. App. LEXIS 2132 (Cal. Ct. App. 1967).

Opinion

SHOEMAKER, P. J.

Defendant Marvin Samuels was charged by indictment with two counts of conspiracy to violate Penal Code, section 311.2 (preparing and distributing obscene matter) ; two counts of assault by means of force likely to cause great bodily injury (Pen. Code, § 245) ; and a final count of sodomy (Pen. Code, § 286). Defendant pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The jury acquitted defendant of sodomy but found him guilty on both charges of conspiracy, one charge of aggravated assault and the offense of simple assault included in the other charge of aggravated assault. The simple assault conviction was subsequently dismissed. The court suspended the imposition of sentence, fined defendant $3,000 and placed him on probation for a period of 10 years.

*504 Defendant appeals from the order granting probation and from an order 'denying his motion for new trial as to the conspiracy and aggravated assault charges. The latter order is nonappealable.

Defendant Samuels, an opthalmologist, testified that he recognized the symptoms of sadomasochism in himself, and his primary concern became to control and release his sadomasochistic urges in ways which were harmless. Through his hobby of photography, he participated in the production of several films on the east coast. Three of these films depicted bound individuals being whipped. Defendant wielded the whip in two of the films and acted as the cameraman, producer and director for the third film. He testified that the apparent force of the whippings was “faked” and that cosmetics were used to supply the marks of the apparent beating. Defendant produced one of these films at the trial.

In early September 1964, defendant met Kenneth Anger in San Francisco. Anger was a self-employed film director who had made such films as “Fireworks” and “Scorpio Rising.” He had also' been a close friend of Dr. Kinsey from the institute by that name, had been a buyer for the institute for a period of seven years, and had an authorization to send material through the mails.

On the night of their initial meeting, Anger introduced himself to defendant and inquired whether defendant had seen “Scorpio Rising.” Defendant replied that he had not. Defendant had seen ‘ ‘ Fireworks, ’ ’ however, and considered it the most sadomasochistic film he had ever seen. He told Anger that he himself had made two or three rolls of film dealing with sadomasochistic activity and was interested in having them developed. Anger volunteered to have the films developed and also told defendant that he believed that the Kinsey Institute would be very interested in examining the footage and might want the films for their collection, since they were then studying the subject of sadomasochism. Defendant agreed to mail the films to Anger’s Hollywood address. There was no discussion of having the films developed at an ordinary camera store.

In the middle of September, defendant mailed the three rolls of film to Anger in Hollywood. Anger sent the rolls to a local film service laboratory, and picked up the developed film several days later. One of the rolls was badly underexposed and nearly black. The other two rolls were visible, although slightly underexposed. Anger mailed the latter two films to *505 Dr. Gebhardt of the Kinsey Institute, having previously written him and informed him that he was on the trail of footage which he thought would interest the institute. Anger mailed the underexposed roll to defendant.

Dr. Gebhardt returned the films to Anger, who mailed them to defendant.

Anger’s next contact with defendant occurred in early November. The two men dined at a San Francisco restaurant and defendant stated during the course of the dinner that he had edited the films which Anger had developed for him, and he also stated that he intended to make more films of a sadomasochistic nature. Anger again volunteered to have them developed, and told defendant to mail them to Anger’s San Francisco address. Defendant indicated that an individual who would play the role of the masochist in a future film was coming from out of state. When Anger again stated that the Kinsey Institute would be interested in the films, defendant expressed a willingness to donate to the institute both the films he had already made and those he intended to make. There was never any discussion of making the films available to the general public or to anyone other than the Kinsey Institute.

After dinner, defendant and Anger went to defendant’s home, where the two rolls of film which he had edited were projected. Anger saw that the two rolls had been spliced together and that a shot of a solitary figure wielding a whip had been taken from the end of one roll, where it had previously appeared, and had been cut into several pieces and reinserted at various places in the two combined rolls. This film constitutes the basis for the second conspiracy count and will hereafter be referred to as the ‘ ‘ horizontal ’ ’ film.

At the trial Anger identified defendant as the man wielding the whip.

Anger’s next contact with defendant occurred in mid-November, when he received two rolls of film from him. Anger deposited the films at Schaefer’s Camera Store in San Francisco, using the fictitious name of “Jackson” and giving a false address. He subsequently returned to the camera shop and was told that only one of the films had thus far been developed and returned to the shop. He paid the developing fee and picked up the film.

The other roll of film had been sent by the camera shop to the Eastman Kodak Company in Palo Alto for processing. The company contacted the Palo Alto Police Department and *506 projected the film for certain police officers and prosecuting attorneys, who confiscated the film.

A dummy roll of film was left at Schaefer’s Camera Store. On November 20, Anger picked up this film and ivas apprehended by the police of San Francisco. Anger was taken to the Hall of Justice where he was questioned concerning the defendant and the films.

Later that day, the Santa Clara County district attorney’s office obtained a warrant authorizing a search of defendant’s home for whips and other instruments of torture.

Anger and several police officers of San Francisco then drove to the Santa Clara County district attorney’s office, arriving there about 7:30 p.m. They viewed the film which Inspector Nieto of San Francisco had obtained from Eastman.

This film, which will henceforth be referred to as the “vertical” film, constituted the basis for the first conspiracy count and the aggravated assault charge. It shows a gagged and naked man strung up in an unfinished room, receiving a beating with whips and lashes administered by a man whom Anger identified as defendant. There are marks on the victim’s buttocks, the small of his back and further up on His body. The film contained no splices.

After viewing the film, all of the officers proceeded to defendant’s Sunnyvale residence, arriving there at approximately 9 p.m. When defendant opened the door, he was informed of the search warrant, it was read to him and then handed to him.

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Bluebook (online)
250 Cal. App. 2d 501, 58 Cal. Rptr. 439, 1967 Cal. App. LEXIS 2132, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-samuels-calctapp-1967.