Court Opinion

ID: 9726650
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 13:02:19.556324+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:25:29.575496
License: Public Domain

Danhof, P. J.
(dissenting). The circuit court judge rested his decision to quash the complaint and warrant upon a single ground:
"The Court does agree with the argument of the Defendant that local communities shall have the right to determine by local juries what standards shall apply, but that these standards are applied by local juries and courts of law under prosecution of applicable state law.
"It is the Opinion of this Court that the standards by which obscenity is to be judged in this state or in any other state must be set by the Legislature of that state. It is perfectly obvious that local juries, in trying obscen*198ity matters, will apply what appears to them to be their own standards in the matter, but the jury’s viewpoint of a community standard and a standard set by the State Legislature may or may not be the same.”
So far as the majority addresses this issue I adhere to their opinion and agree that the circuit judge erred in his conclusion. Had the majority gone no further in their analysis, reversal would have been mandated. However, they elect to address the second issue, the constitutionality of the ordinance under which the defendants were convicted. As it is presumed that the trial court will follow the law, a matter not decided by the trial court is not properly before this Court. Shelby Mutual Insurance Co v Grand Rapids, 6 Mich App 95, 98-99; 148 NW2d 260 (1967), Swain v Kayko, 44 Mich App 496, 504; 205 NW2d 621 (1973). Furthermore, since the ordinance in question has since been substantially amended, I find no compelling reason to preserve for its precedential value our assessment of its constitutionality.
I vote to reverse and remand to circuit court for further proceedings.