STATE OF FLORIDA, PETITIONER-APPELLANT,
v.
BALINT PAPP, RESPONDENT-APPELLEE
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The court held that Florida Statute Section 847.011(1)(a) provides sufficient notice and is constitutional when the word 'immoral' is eliminated.
[1] A statute prohibiting the distribution of obscene materials is constitutional if it provides adequate notice of the proscribed conduct, even if it was not previously auth…
[2] A statute's standard for possession of obscene materials is constitutional when it is the same standard used for distribution of obscene materials, provided the word "imm…
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceRespondent was convicted of possessing an obscene magazine with intent to distribute. The District Court of Appeal found the statute unconstitutionall…
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BOYD, Justice.
This cause is before us on petition for certiorari to review a decision 1 of the District Court of Appeal, Fourth District, as well as on an appeal from the opinion of that court, both of which have been consolidated by this Court. We have jurisdiction under Article V, Section 3(b)(1) and Article V, Section 3(b)(3), Florida Constitution, F.S.A. In May, 1970, an information was filed in the Criminal Court of Record for Orange County, Florida, charging respondent with possession on October 1, 1969, of an obscene magazine with knowledge of the nature of the magazine and with the intention to distribute it in violation of Section 847.011(1) (a), Florida Statutes, F.S.A. On October 12, 1970, respondent was tried and found guilty by a judge sitting without a jury. Having found the magazine in question to be obscene under the then current definition, the court sentenced respondent to one year in prison and a fine of $1,000.00. On appeal, the Circuit Court for Orange County affirmed this conviction on September 29, 1971; Respondent then filed his petition for certiorari with the District Court of Appeal, Fourth District. While finding that the magazine could be found obscene when measured by the criteria established in South Florida Art Theatres, Inc. v. State ex rel. Mounts,2 the District Court found that in light of Miller v. California,3 Section 847.011, Florida Statutes, F.S.A., failed to give adequate notice of the conduct sought to be proscribed and was unconstitutional. From this decision, th^ State simultaneously brought its petition for certiorari and appeal.
We agree with the Criminal Court of Record for Orange County, the Circuit Court for Orange County, and the District Court of Appeal, Fourth District, that the magazine entitled “His’n Hers, Volume I” is obscene. Therefore, we direct our attention solely to the constitutional issue raised by the District Court of Appeal. It was the District Court’s view that at the time of the offense with which respondent was charged, Section 847.011(1) (a), Florida Statutes, F.S.A.,4 was unconstitutionally broad in scope; the court stated, inter alia:
“Nor does it appear . . . that at the time of the offense with which Papp was charged, the statute had been authoritatively construed in such manner as to provide by judicial pronouncement the necessary specificity . . . . ”5
We disagree.
On June 11, 1969, the case of State v. Reese,6 became final; in that case, this Court held that once the word “immoral” was eliminated, Section 847.011(2), Florida Statutes, F-S-A.,7 was not susceptible to attack on the ground of unconstitutional vagueness. Since the standard specified in Section 847.011(2), Florida Statutes, F.S. A., regarding possession of obscene materials, is the same standard specified in Section 847.011(1) (a), Florida Statutes, F.S. A., relating to distribution of obscene materials, inter alia, and since that standard has been upheld in Section 847.011(2), Florida Statutes, F.S.A., we now hold that, with the elimination of the word “immoral” (as being unconstitutionally vague pursuant to State v. Reese,8 supra), the same standard is also constitutional when found in Section 847.011(1) (a), Florida Statutes, F.S.A. We find nothing in the more recent Federal cases, including Miller, supra, to cause us to recede from our decision in Reese, supra. Since the recent opinions of the United States Supreme Court have not abrogated the ruling in Reese, supra, which was clearly affirmed by this Court in Rhodes v. State,9 we hold that the language of Section 847.011(1) (a), Florida Statutes, F.S.A., is sufficient to meet the constitutional requirements of notice.
Accordingly, the decision of the District Court of Appeal is quashed and remanded, with instructions to reinstate the judgment and sentence previously imposed.
It is so ordered.
ROBERTS, McCAIN and DEKLE, JJ., concur. ADKINS, C. J., and ERVIN, J., dissent.
. Papp v. State, 281 So. 2d 600 (Fla.App.1973).
. 224 So. 2d 706 (Fla.App.1969).
. 413 U.S. 15, 93 S.Ct. 2607, 37 L.Ed.2d 419 (1973).
. “847.011 Prohibition of certain acts in connection with obscene, lewd, etc., materials ; penalty.—
“(l)(a) A person who knowingly . has in his possession, custody, or control with intent to sell, lend, give away, distribute, transmit, show, transmute, or advertise in any manner, any obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, indecent, immoral, sadistic, or masochistic . . . magazine . . . picture . . . photograph ... is guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding one year or by fine not exceeding $1,000.00, or both. . . . ”
. See note 1 at 602—603 of 281 So. 2d.
. 222 So. 2d 732 (Fla.1969).
. “(2) A person who knowingly has in his possession, custody, or control any obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, indecent, immoral, sadistic, or masochistic . . . magazine . picture . . . photograph . without intent to sell, lend, give away, distribute, transmit, show, transmute, or advertise the same, is guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding six months or by fine not exceeding $500.00, or both. In any prosecution for such possession, it shall not be necessary to allege or prove the absence of such intent.”
. See note 6 at 735.
. 283 So. 2d 351 (Fla.1973).
Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus
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Blannie Mae Spears v. State, 337 So. 2d 977 (Fla. 1976)…rida . . . Blannie Mae Spears did . . . publicly use or utter indecent or obscene language, to wit: SON OF A BITCH, BASTARD M.F. ETC, [sic] contrary to section 847.05, FLORIDA STATUTES.” . Rhodes v. State, 283 So. 2d 351 (Fla. 1973); State v. Papp, 298 So. 2d 374 (Fla. 1974); State ex rel. Gerstein v. Walrick Theatre Corp., 298 So. 2d 406 (Fla. 1974). Subsequent to Bucolo, in Fontana v. State, 316 So. 2d 543 (Fla. 1975), we altered our construction of Section 847.011, Florida Statutes (1975) in light of Mill…
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Johnson v. State, 351 So. 2d 10 (Fla. 1977)…, appellant’s brief to us contains this acknowledgement: “This Court has rendered a number of decisions upholding the constitutional efficacy of Florida Statute 847.011. Those cases include Rhodes v. State, 283 So. 2d 351 (Fla.1973); State v. Papp, 298 So. 2d 374 (Fla.1974); Bucolo v. State, 303 So. 2d 329 (Fla.1974), reversed (per curiam), 421 U.S. 927, 95 S.Ct. 1651, 44 L.Ed.2d 84 (1975), confirmed 316 So. 2d 551 (Fla.1975).” It is obvious that appellant has no colora-ble basis on which to bring his appea…
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Bucolo v. State, 303 So. 2d 329 (Fla. 1974)…l as the appellate briefs. Further oral argument would serve no useful purpose, and therefore is hereby dispensed with. After review of the record and briefs, and upon the construction, rationale and authority of (1) State of Florida v. Papp, Fla., 298 So. 2d 374, opinion filed June 12, 1974, with rehearing denied September 5, 1974; (2) State v. Reese, 222 So. 2d 732 (Fla.1969) and (3) Rhodes v. State, 283 So. 2d 351 (Fla.1973), the judgment of the trial court is hereby affirmed. It is so ordered. ADKINS,…
Previewing 3 of 7 citing cases — full citator treatment, depth of discussion, and citing context are member features.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAuthorities Cited
- Miller v. California, 413 U.S. 15 (U.S. 1973)
- Rhodes v. State, 283 So. 2d 351 (Fla. 1973)
- Hayes v. Adobe Brick & Supply Co., 222 So. 2d 732 (Fla. 1969)
- Balint Papp v. State, 281 So. 2d 600 (Fla. 4th DCA 1973)
- S. Fla. ART Theaters, Inc. v. State of Fla. ex rel. Marvin U. Mounts, Jr., 224 So. 2d 706 (Fla. 4th DCA 1969)
- John H. Kehl for Kelda Land Tr. v. Fewell, 224 So. 2d 706 (Fla. 3d DCA 1969)