People v. Speer

The six defendants, James Speer, Thomas Yates, Morton Weiss, Milton Glass, David Mendenhall and Frank Orlando, were charged by nine complaints with obscenity in that they sold obscene magazines with knowledge of the nature or content thereof. (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1973, ch. 38, par. 11—20.) In separate bench trials each defendant was found guilty as charged. The sentences varied from a *100 fine to one year probation. In this consolidated appeal defendants contend (1) that the magazines in question are not obscene and (2) that the State failed to prove that the defendants knew the nature or contents…