Media Coalition

On June 21, 1973, the United States Supreme Court rules on Miller v. California . In its ruling, the Supreme Court establishes a three-part definition of obscenity that has remained the standard for judging the legality of sexually explicit material ever since. Supreme Court issues ruling in Jenkins v. Georgia The U.S. Supreme Court rules in Jenkin... s v. Georgia that a local jury was wrong in declaring the movie Carnal Knowledge obscene. Media Coalition filed an amicus brief in this case. Rev. Donald Wildmon establishes the National Federation for Decency in June to clean up television. This starts Wildmons long career as a champion of censorship. The following spring, he stages his first boycott of television advertisers. Tennessee Supreme Court issues ruling in Leech v. American Booksellers Association In the Media Coalition case Leech v. American Booksellers Association , the Tennessee Supreme Court rules that the states obscenity and minors access bill is unconstitutional. The overbroad bill was written by Larry Parrish, a lawyer in the U.S. Attorneys office in Tennessee until 1977 and an anti-pornography activist. Before the suit, it had become a model bill for other states. Supreme Court issues ruling in Lo-Ji Sales v. New York The U.S. Supreme Court rules in Lo-Ji Sales v. New York that a generalized search and seizure of a store without a particularized search warrant is unconstitutional. Media Coalition filed an amicus brief in the case. 5th Circuit issues ruling in Penthouse v. McAuliffe The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals rules that harassment and arrests of retailers prior to a final adjudication on obscenity is an unconstitutional prior restraint in Penthouse v. McAuliffe . Media Coalition filed an amicus brief in this case. Supreme Court issues ruling in Vance v. Universal Amusement The U.S. Supreme Court rules in Vance v. Universal Amusement Co. that a Texas public nuisance statute permitting prior restraint of allegedly obscene motion pictures without prompt judicial review is unconstitutional. ...Read More