Van Sant v. State

523 N.E.2d 229, 1988 Ind. App. LEXIS 388, 1988 WL 49169
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 17, 1988
Docket11A01-8711-CR-281
StatusPublished
Cited by26 cases

This text of 523 N.E.2d 229 (Van Sant v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Van Sant v. State, 523 N.E.2d 229, 1988 Ind. App. LEXIS 388, 1988 WL 49169 (Ind. Ct. App. 1988).

Opinion

RATLIFF, Chief Judge.

STATEMENT OF THE CASE

Victoria Van Sant appeals from the Clay County Superior Court her conviction for Distribution or Exhibition of Obscene Matter, Indiana Code section 35-49-8-1. We affirm.

FACTS

On October 31, 1986, an adult bookstore opened in Clay County, northwest of the intersection of Interstate 70 and State Road 59. The bookstore was known as "BookaRama'". On November 1, 1986, Clay County Prosecutor Fritz Modesitt met with Clay County Sheriff Wayne Lucas and Deputies Doug Smiley and Michael Lank-ford. At this meeting the BookaRama bookstore was discussed. Sheriff Lucas instructed Deputies Smiley and Lankford to purchase magazines from the BookaRa-ma bookstore, and gave each Deputy Forty Dollars ($40).

After the meeting concluded Deputy Smiley carried out Sheriff Lucas's instructions. Deputy Smiley went to the BookaRama bookstore and purchased three (8) magazines. All of the magazines purchased were visible from the register counter, and none were covered to prevent viewing of the cover or the contents. The store contained several racks of magazines. Smiley picked three (8) magazines from the racks, took them to the register, and placed them face up on the counter. Victoria Van Sant, who was employed at the BookaRama bookstore as a cashier, picked up the magazines to determine the price, rang up the sale, and placed the magazines in a paper bag. Deputy Smiley paid for the magazines, and left the store.

After Deputy Smiley made his purchases, Deputy Lankford arrived at, and entered the BookaRama bookstore. Deputy Lankford observed that the store contained several racks of magazines and sexual devices. Deputy Lankford picked out two (2) magazines, took them to the counter, and placed them face down on the counter. Van Sant turned over the magazines, found the prices and rang up the sale. The magazines were not covered to prevent viewing of the cover or contents. Deputy Lankford paid for the magazines and left the store.

Van Sant was charged by information with two (2) counts of Offer, Distribution and Exhibition of Obscene Material, under Indiana Code section 85-49-3-1(2). 1 On *233 May 18, 1987, a jury trial commenced with the selection of jurors. The trial was conducted on May 19 and 20, 1987, and concluded when the jury returned verdicts of guilty on both counts charged against Van Sant. On June 15, the trial court sentenced Van Sant. Van Sant appeals her convictions.

ISSUES

Van Sant raises five (5) issues on appeal:

1. Whether the Indiana Obscenity Statute is unconstitutionally vague or over-broad?

2. Whether the trial court erred by making certain rulings on final instructions?

8. Whether the trial court erred by excluding the defendant's evidence relating to the availability of comparable sexually explicit materials in Clay County?

4. Whether the trial court abused its discretion by refusing to send exhibits and instructions to the jury room?

5. Whether sufficient evidence exists to support Van Sant's convictions? 2

DISCUSSION AND DECISION

Issue One

Van Sant argues that Indiana's Obscenity Statute is overbroad or vague on its face in violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution and Article 1 section 9 of the Indiana Constitution. In reviewing a statute based upon a constitutional challenge this court presumes constitutionality. Whitewater Valley Canoe Rental, Inc. v. Bd. of Franklin Co. Commr's (1987), Ind. App., 507 N.E.2d 1001, 1004, trans. denied; Wallman v. State (1981), Ind.App., 419 N.E.2d 1346, 1348. If the statute's wording supports a construction that is constitutional, that construction must be adopted. Wallman, 419 N.E.2d at 1348-49. In order to satisfy the due process requirements of the United States and Indiana Constitutions, a penal statute must be sufficiently explicit so as to inform individuals of the consequences of contemplated conduct. Whitewater Valley Canoe, 507 N.E.2d at 1004; Id. at 1349. Thus, if the challenger establishes that the statute forbids conduct in terms so vague that persons of ordinary intelligence must necessarily guess at the statute's meaning and differ as to its application, then the statute violates due process of law, is void for vagueness, and unconstitutional. Whitewater Valley Canoe, 507 N.E.2d at 1004; Porter v. State (1982), Ind.App., 440 N.E.2d 690, 692; Wallman, 419 N.E.2d at 1349; Ford v. State (1979), 182 Ind.App. 224, 228, 394 N.E.2d 250, 253, trans. denied; Riley v. State (1979), 180 Ind.App. 540, 542, 389 N.E.2d 367, 369, trans. denied. Although a statute may pass a vagueness challenge, it may still be unconstitutional under an overbreadth challenge. 16A Am.Jur.2d Constitutional Law § 460 (1979). An over-breadth challenge asserts that the statute is not drawn in sufficiently narrow terms and foreseeably prohibits legitimate conduct. Andrews v. State (1987), Ind.App., 505 N.E.2d 815, 822-23; Porter, 440 N.E.2d at 693.

In the present case, Van Sant argues that Indiana's Obscenity Statute is unconstitutional on both vagueness and overbreadth grounds. 3 Van Sant argues *234 first that the statute is overbroad for failing to define the terms "prurient interest". Van Sant suggests the lack of a statutory definition allows the prohibition of materials which appeal only to a normal interest in sex. Although Van Sant correctly notes that an obscenity statute cannot prohibit material which appeals to only a normal interest in sex without violating the Constitution, 4 Indiana's Obscenity Statute does not suffer from such a defect. Indiana's Obscenity Statute tracks the United States Supreme Court's definition for obscenity as set forth in Miller v. California (1973), 413 U.S. 15, 93 S.Ct. 2607, 37 L.Ed.2d 419, and is not unconstitutionally overbroad. 5 Polykoff v. Collins (9th Cir.1987), 816 F.2d 1326, 1334-35, In Polykoff, Arizona's Obscenity Statute was challenged based upon the "prurient interest" section. The Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held that the statute was not unconstitutional due to the lack of a definition, Id. A similar conclusion was reached by the second district of Illinois Court of Appeals in People v. Sequoia Books, Inc. (1987), 160 Ill.App. 3d 750, 112 Ill.Dec. 545, 513 N.E.2d 1154. The court opined,

"Further, the statute is not unconstitutional because of its failure to define 'prurient interest', The United States Supreme Court in Brockett v. Spokane Arcades, Inc. (1985), 472 U.S. 491, 505 n. 18, 105 S.Ct. 2794, 2803 n. 13, 86 L.Ed.2d 394, 407 n.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Bleeke v. State
982 N.E.2d 1040 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2013)
People v. Thomas
53 V.I. 319 (Superior Court of The Virgin Islands, 2010)
Lewis v. State
726 N.E.2d 836 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2000)
Vaillancourt v. State
695 N.E.2d 606 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1998)
Walker v. State
668 N.E.2d 243 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1996)
Turner v. State
650 N.E.2d 705 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1995)
Guidry v. State
650 N.E.2d 63 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1995)
McIntosh v. State
638 N.E.2d 1269 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1994)
Helton v. State
624 N.E.2d 499 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1993)
State v. Ramos
860 P.2d 765 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1993)
Commitment of GPH v. Giles
578 N.E.2d 729 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1991)
Webb v. State
575 N.E.2d 1066 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1991)
Kerlin v. State
573 N.E.2d 445 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1991)
Fordyce v. State
569 N.E.2d 357 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1991)
Chandley Enterprises, Inc. v. City of Evansville
563 N.E.2d 672 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1990)
Gann v. State
550 N.E.2d 803 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1990)
Norton v. State
408 N.E.2d 514 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1980)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
523 N.E.2d 229, 1988 Ind. App. LEXIS 388, 1988 WL 49169, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/van-sant-v-state-indctapp-1988.