State v. I, a WOMAN-PART II

191 N.W.2d 897, 53 Wis. 2d 102, 1971 Wisc. LEXIS 941
CourtWisconsin Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 30, 1971
Docket125
StatusPublished
Cited by23 cases

This text of 191 N.W.2d 897 (State v. I, a WOMAN-PART II) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wisconsin Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. I, a WOMAN-PART II, 191 N.W.2d 897, 53 Wis. 2d 102, 1971 Wisc. LEXIS 941 (Wis. 1971).

Opinions

Heffernan, J.

The judgment purported to recite that the underlying action was “a proceeding under Chapter [sec.] 269.565 of the Wis. Stats.” That section of the statutes is captioned, “Declaratory judgments [106]*106against obscene matter.” 1 An examination of the proceedings reveals that the procedure followed in this case was at wide variance from the procedure prescribed by the statute. The record reveals that the ad hoc procedure utilized in this case was designedly adopted as a result of the recognition by the prosecutor and the trial judge that the legislatively prescribed procedures were insufficient to assure due process and the protection of the first-amendment rights of free speech. Both judge and prosecutor recognized what is apparent to this court— the statute is, in part at least, unconstitutional.

The statute provides that the district attorney could, when he had reasonable cause to believe that a film or other thing was obscene, file a complaint against such matter.

In the instant case an in rem proceeding was commenced by the filing of a summons and a complaint that alleged that the film, “I, A Woman, Part II” (hereinafter film) was obscene, and that it was being shown to patrons of a Milwaukee theater. The prayer of the complaint asked that the court make a summary examination of the film to determine whether there was reasonable cause to believe the film was obscene. This procedure is prescribed by sec. 269.565, Stats. The instant procedure deviated, however, from the legislative scheme in that there appears in the complaint a penned interlineation that the court determine “after adversary hearing” that there is reasonable cause to believe the film obscene. The statute makes no provision for an adversary hearing prior to the issuance of an order to show cause. The statute merely requires:

“Upon the filing of such complaint, the court shall make a summary examination of such matter. If it is of the [107]*107opinion that there is reasonable cause to believe that such matter is obscene, it shall issue an order, directed against said matter by name, to show cause why said matter should not be judicially determined to be obscene.”

The complaint herein asked that the order to show cause be returnable in thirty days and that, in the interim and until a final adjudication could be had, the court issue an interlocutory order adjudging the film obscene, which order, the state asked, was to have the same effect as a final judgment until a final judgment was made or until further order of the court. This procedure is statutorily prescribed by sec. 269.565 (1) and (lm), Stats.

Instead of making a summary examination of the matter to determine whether there was reasonable cause to believe that the matter was obscene and then issuing an order to show cause, the court in this case, on October 31, 1969, after a perusal of the complaint, issued a “Notice” reciting that, incident to the summary examination provided in sec. 269.565 (1), Stats., it would conduct an adversary hearing for the purpose of issuing the “Order to Show Cause” and the proposed “Interlocutory Finding and Adjudication” attached to the notice. The court directed that service be made on the parties, i.e., distributors of the film and the theater operator not less than twenty-four hours before the hearing scheduled for 11 a. m. on November 3, 1969. Service was made on the general manager of Prudential Theaters Company at his place of business in Milwaukee. Other parties were notified of the projected proceeding by telegram 2 and by [108]*108mail. On November Bd, the film was viewed, and proceedings were held that day and on November 4th and 5th. Testimony was taken wherein the witnesses for the state gave their opinion that the film was obscene, and witnesses appearing on behalf of the film testified that, despite its prurient appeal, it was of redeeming social importance and, hence, not legally obscene. The trial judge made the following findings:

“6) The motion picture T, a Woman, Part IF is a character study, in depth and with-considerable artistry^ of a neurotic individual who claims to have a superman mentality, but who in reality suffers from an inferiority complex. The film depicts and develops the workings of his depraved mind, as a sort-of case study. We see him corrupt everything about him in order to manifest his superiority, and this leads to a portrayal of much depraved conduct in order for us to understand the sick mind of the man. He places higher value on corruption and depravity and this forces him to attempt to destroy love, justice and truth. The result of these actions, as the film shows, is the utter collapse of this individual. The film thus has social value in its depiction of a typej-and--its dominant theme docs not appeal to prurient — interest, nor-does-it go beyond contemporary community-standards in the depiction of sex. It-is -basically a serious work.” (Lined out words were stricken by Judge from defendant’s proposed findings.)

The judge’s opinion demonstrated that he used the Roth test of obscenity, but found it unnecessary to determine whether the dominant theme of the film, taken as a whole, appealed to prurient interest or whether it was patently offensive as an affront to contemporary com[109]*109munity standards. Having found that the film was not utterly without value, the trial judge concluded that the additional findings were not necessary. Judgment was entered dismissing the state’s complaint.

We conclude that the proceedings following the issuance of the complaint are null and void. Accordingly, the judgment must be vacated.

The legislature provided that the question of obscenity vel non of any matter could be raised in a sec. 269.565, Stats., proceeding only if the circuit judge, after his own summary examination following the filing of a complaint, concluded that there was reasonable cause to believe that the matter was obscene. No such summary determination was made. The reason why this step was omitted is clear. The trial judge, as well as the prosecutor, was attempting to avoid the possibility of a prior restraint of materials arguably protected by the first amendment without having first determined on the merits the question of obscenity in an adversary hearing. The prior-restraint pitfall at this point in the proceedings was avoided, but it is apparent that, in attempting to fashion a constitutionally antiseptic proceeding, the initial and essential jurisdictional step required by the statute was omitted.

The in rem procedures against arguably obscene materials are completely encompassed by the strictures of sec. 269.565, Stats., and, hence, it must be concluded that possible alternate common-law or equitable in rem proceedings have been suspended. While it may on occasion be permissible for courts to fashion procedures that are constitutionally necessary to carry out the manifest legislative intent, courts and prosecutors may not make their own procedural substitutions for those clearly prescribed by the legislature.

Since the trial judge did not make the initial determination that there was reasonable cause to believe the [110]*110film was obscene, he was without jurisdiction to proceed further. He was without the power to make any determination whatsoever.

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State v. I, a WOMAN-PART II
191 N.W.2d 897 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1971)

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Bluebook (online)
191 N.W.2d 897, 53 Wis. 2d 102, 1971 Wisc. LEXIS 941, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-i-a-woman-part-ii-wis-1971.