State v. McKinney

763 S.W.2d 702, 1989 Mo. App. LEXIS 35, 1989 WL 711
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedJanuary 10, 1989
DocketNo. 52421
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 763 S.W.2d 702 (State v. McKinney) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. McKinney, 763 S.W.2d 702, 1989 Mo. App. LEXIS 35, 1989 WL 711 (Mo. Ct. App. 1989).

Opinion

SIMON, Judge.

In this court-tried case, defendant, Charles McKinney, was charged with three counts of promoting pornography in the second degree in violation of § 573.030 RSMo (1978) and one count of illegal possession of marijuana, a Schedule I controlled substance, in violation of § 195.020 RSMo (1978). (All further references shall be to RSMo (1978) unless otherwise noted). The alleged offenses concerning promoting pornography in the second degree occurred on November 20, 1985 involving a maga[703]*703zine entitled The Wet Ones (Count I); on June 29,1985 involving a magazine entitled A— F-ed (Count II); and on August 23, 1984 involving a magazine the title of which remains undisclosed by the record (Count III). The alleged offense concerning possession of marijuana occurred on August 23, 1984 (Count IV). A substitute indictment replaced the original information filed for Counts III and IV.

No evidence was presented as to Counts III and IV. The trial court entered judgments of acquittal with respect to these counts with no objection being offered by the state. With regard to Counts I and II, the evidence adduced at trial consisted primarily of St. Louis City Police Detective McMiller’s testimony that, on June 29,1985 and November 20, 1985, while posing as a customer, he purchased certain magazines from defendant at Bobbie’s Books, an adult book store located at 1309 Convention Plaza. Defendant presented no evidence. Further facts shall be enumerated as deemed necessary for the resolution of the points raised on appeal. Defendant’s motion for judgments of acquittal as to Counts I and II was overruled, and defendant was found guilty and sentenced to 180 days imprisonment and fined $1000 on Count I and sentenced to one year imprisonment and fined $1000 on Count II. The execution of the sentence of one year imprisonment on Count II was suspended, and defendant was placed on two years probation.

On appeal, defendant contends that: (1) § 573.010, the statute defining “pornographic” as applied in § 573.030, the statute under which defendant was charged, tried, and convicted, is unconstitutional; (2) the trial court erroneously overruled his objections to the use of certain police reports by the state; and (3) the sentences imposed are excessive and constitute cruel and unusual punishment.

We transferred this case to our Supreme Court for a determination of defendant’s first point on appeal challenging the constitutional validity of § 573.010. Specifically, defendant claimed that under the decisions in Pope v. Illinois, 481 U.S. 497, 107 S.Ct. 1918, 95 L.Ed.2d 439 (1987) and Miller v. California, 413 U.S. 15, 93 S.Ct. 2607, 37 L.Ed.2d 419 (1973), the definition of “pornographic” embodied in § 573.010, as applied in § 573.030, was unconstitutional.

Section 573.010 contains the chapter definitions for pornography and related offenses. Section 573.010(1) provides:

573.010. Chapter definitions — As used in this chapter
(1) “Pornographic”, any material or performance is “pornographic” if, considered as a whole, applying contemporary community standards:
(a) Its predominant appeal is to prurient interest in sex; and
(b) It depicts or describes sexual conduct in a patently offensive way; and
(c) It lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value.
In determining whether any material or performance is pornographic, it shall be judged with reference to its impact upon ordinary adults;

Promoting pornography in the second degree, § 573.030, the offense under which defendant was convicted, provides:

573.030. Promoting pornography in the second degree
1. A person commits the crime of promoting pornography in the second degree if, knowing its content and character, he:
(1) Promotes or possesses with the purpose to promote any pornographic material for pecuniary gain; or
(2) Produces, presents, directs or participates in any pornographic performance for pecuniary gain.
2. Promoting pornography in the second degree is a class A misdemeanor.

The definition of “pornographic” and the offense of promoting pornography in the second degree have been repealed by our legislature. Section 573.010(8) ESMo Supp. (1987), formerly § 573.010(1), now provides:

(8) “Obscene!’, any material or performance is obscene if:
(a) Applying contemporary community standards, its predominant appeal is to prurient interest in sex; and
[704]*704(b) Taken as a whole with the average person, applying contemporary community standards, it depicts or describes sexual conduct in a patently offensive way; and
(c) Taken as a whole, it lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value. Obscenity shall be judged with reference to its impact upon ordinary adults;

Section 573.010(8) became effective by emergency act on July 15, 1987 in order to maintain state law in compliance with federal law. Also effective July 15, 1987, by the same act, is a new § 573.080 now providing:

573.030. Promoting obscenity in the second degree
1. A person commits the crime of promoting pornography for minors or obscenity in the second degree if, knowing its content or character, he:
(1) Promotes or possesses with the purpose to promote any obscene material for pecuniary gain; or
(2) Produces, presents, directs or participates in any obscene performance for pecuniary gain; or
(3) Promotes or possesses with the purpose to promote any material pornographic for minors for pecuniary gain; or
(4) Produces, presents, directs or participates in any performance pornographic for minors for pecuniary gain.
2. Promoting pornography for minors or obscenity in the second degree is a class A misdemeanor unless the person has pleaded guilty to or has been found guilty of an offense under this section committed at a different time, in which case it is a class D felony.

The United States Supreme Court, in Miller, delineated a tripartite test to be used in the determination of whether material is obscene. Id., 93 S.Ct. at 2615[6-8]. The third prong of the Miller test requires the trier of fact to decide “whether the work, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.” Id.

In Pope, the Court was called upon to decide whether, in a prosecution for the sale of allegedly obscene materials, the jury may be instructed to apply community standards in deciding the value question embodied in the third prong of the Miller test.

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State v. McKinney
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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
763 S.W.2d 702, 1989 Mo. App. LEXIS 35, 1989 WL 711, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-mckinney-moctapp-1989.