NCJ Number
73269
Editor(s)
L A Sobel
Date Published
1980
Length
191 pages
Annotation
This book traces the growth of pornography in the U.S., with emphasis on the legal background and changing judicial interpretations of constitutional guarantees affecting pornography and obscenity.
Abstract
It is intended as a balanced and accurate reference tool. It describes early concern with obscenity as well as Supreme Court decisions starting in 1957, which gradually eased restrictions on pornography. Exceptions regarding children and the right to privacy and reliance on local standards are also discussed. The role of organized crime and the lack of research support for the hypothesis that pornography is a cause of sex crime are next considered. A section on efforts to deal with pornography describes the controversy surrounding the recent pornography commission's report and control efforts concerning motion pictures, live theater, broadcasting, obscenity in the mail, and child pornography. The largest section of the book is devoted to descriptions of significant court decisions concerning books, films, and broadcasts. Cases include the finding that 'Ulysses' was not obscene, the reversal of the ban on the film 'Lady Chatterley's Lover,' and the Ginsberg case. A list of cases abridged or cited and an index are included.