Case Summary
**Case Summary: Miller v. California (Docket No. 7852543)**
**Court:** Supreme Court of the United States
**Argued:** November 30, 1972
**Decided:** June 21, 1973
**Overview:**
Miller v. California addressed the issue of obscenity and the First Amendment rights related to freedom of speech and expression. The case arose from the distribution of adult material, leading to a significant ruling on what constitutes "obscene" material that is not protected by the First Amendment.
**Facts:**
The petitioner, Marvin Miller, operated a business that mailed unsolicited advertisements for adult films and magazines to recipients in California. One of these mailings included explicit material, resulting in Miller being prosecuted under California Penal Code section 311.2(a), which prohibits the distribution of obscene material.
Miller argued that his First Amendment rights were violated, claiming the materials were protected speech. The California courts upheld the law, leading to an appeal to the United States Supreme Court.
**Legal Questions:**
1. What constitutes obscene material that is unprotected by the First Amendment?
2. Is the California law regarding obscenity overly broad or vague in its application?
**Supreme Court Holding:**
The Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that the material distributed by Miller could be considered obscene under certain criteria, altering the legal standards for assessing obscenity. The Court established the "Miller Test," which set forth three criteria to determine whether material is obscene:
1. Whether the average person, applying contemporary community standards, would find that the work, taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest.
2. Whether the work depicts or describes, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct specifically defined by applicable state law.
3. Whether the work, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.
**Impact:**
This case significantly impacted the regulation of obscenity in the United States by providing a clearer framework for courts to evaluate what constitutes obscene material. The "Miller Test" continues to influence obscenity cases and underscores the balance between free expression and community standards.
**Conclusion:**
Miller v. California reaffirmed the complexities of First Amendment protections, particularly in relation to sexually explicit material. The ruling clarified the standards for determining obscenity, shaping the ongoing discourse surrounding free speech and censorship in American law.