Opinion ID: 1916681
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: admissibility of other materials

Text: The last issue raised by the instant case is whether the trial court erred in ruling that other books purchased in Montgomery, Alabama, could not be admitted as evidence of community standards. There is a split of authority on this issue, some courts holding that such matter is admissible and others holding that it is inadmissible. See generally, Annotation, 5 A.L.R.3d 1158 (1965). One view is that such evidence is irrelevant to the issue of whether the matter before the court is obscene, since the fact that other publications are in bookstores and on news stands is no indication that they are sold and widely read. This defect can be cured, however, by establishing a proper foundation prior to the introduction of the matter. In United States v. Manarite, 448 F.2d 583 (2d Cir. 1971) the Second Circuit Court of Appeals addressed this problem: Evidence of mere availability of similar materials is not by itself sufficiently probative of community standards to be admissible in the absence of proof that the material enjoys a reasonable degree of community acceptance. Womack v. United States, 111 U.S.App.D.C. 8, 294 F.2d 204, 206 (1961), cert. denied, 365 U.S. 859, 81 S.Ct. 826, 5 L.Ed.2d 822 (1961). Such proof would normally be supplied by expert witnesses. No such proof was offered. In the absence of this foundation, the allegedly similar pornographic material was properly excluded. Mere availability of similar material by itself means nothing more than that other persons are engaged in similar activities. (Emphasis added). The underlying rationale of this position has been stated by the late Mr. Justice Harlan: [T]he trier of an obscenity case must take into account `contemporary community standards,' Roth v. United States, 354 U.S. 476, 489, 77 S.Ct. 1304, 1 L.Ed. 2d 1498 . . . . The community cannot, where liberty of speech and press are at issue, condemn that which it generally tolerates. Smith v. California, 361 U.S. 147, 80 S.Ct. 215, 4 L.Ed.2d 205 (1959) (Harlan, J., concurring in part and dissenting in part). See also Yudkin v. State, 229 Md. 223, 182 A.2d 798 (1962) (Trier of fact has the right to read, or be informed of, the contents of comparable books that have been generally accepted or tolerated by the public) Therefore, once the proper predicate has been laid by demonstrating to the trial court's satisfaction that the matter offered as evidence of contemporary standards enjoys a reasonable degree of acceptance or tolerance (either by way of expert testimony, volume of sales, or other means) the matter should be admitted. This is not to hold, however, that every book or photograph proffered must be admitted. The admission of a large number of different items alleged to be comparable to the matter in question might make the trial unmanageably complex and lengthy and would amount to no more than cumulative evidence. Therefore, while the trial court must admit evidence of community standards after a proper predicate has been established, the volume of such evidence must be left to the sound discretion of the trial court, and this court will not review the trial court's decision on this issue except for an abuse of discretion. See, Chambers v. Culver, 289 Ala. 724, 272 So. 2d 236 (1973); Freeman v. Hall, 286 Ala. 161, 238 So.2d 330 (1970); Stokes v. Bryan, 42 Ala.App. 120, 154 So.2d 754 (1963). Affirmed. MERRILL, HARWOOD, BLOODWORTH, MADDOX, McCALL and FAULKNER, JJ., concur. COLEMAN, J., concurs in result. JONES, J., dissents.