From Casetext: Smarter Legal Research

Gayety Theatres v. State, Gerstein

District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District
Jun 20, 1978
359 So. 2d 915 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1978)

Opinion

No. 77-873.

June 20, 1978.

Appeal from the Circuit Court, Dade County, Thomas A. Testa, J.

Weinstein Krasnow, Miami Beach, for appellants.

Janet Reno, State's Atty. and Milton Robbins, Asst. State's Atty., for appellee.

Before PEARSON, HUBBART and KEHOE, JJ.


By this appeal we are asked to review the propriety of a civil contempt order entered in the Circuit Court for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida based on a violation of a prior court order which had enjoined the showing of the film "Deep Throat" on grounds of obscenity under Section 847.011, Florida Statutes (1977). No appeal was taken from the prior injunctive order. We affirm the civil contempt order entered herein against the defendants Gayety Theatres, Inc., d/b/a Pussycat Theatre and Leroy C. Griffith as the order is based on substantial competent evidence.

We reverse the civil contempt order, however, as to the defendants, William Finigan and Lou Hollander, because such defendants were not made parties to the original order which had enjoined the showing of the aforesaid film "Deep Throat". In addition, the last paragraph of the contempt order herein which forbids the defendants from showing or attempting to show any X-rated movies is stricken as an unconstitutional prior restraint on free expression prohibited by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. Mitchem v. State ex rel. Schaub, 250 So.2d 883 (Fla. 1971); Art Theatre Enterprises, Inc. v. State ex rel. Gerstein, 260 So.2d 267 (Fla.3d DCA 1972); Paris Follies, Inc. v. State ex rel. Gerstein, 259 So.2d 532 (Fla.3d DCA 1972).

Affirmed in part; reversed in part.


Summaries of

Gayety Theatres v. State, Gerstein

District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District
Jun 20, 1978
359 So. 2d 915 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1978)
Case details for

Gayety Theatres v. State, Gerstein

Case Details

Full title:GAYETY THEATRES, INC., D/B/A PUSSYCAT THEATRE AND LEROY C. GRIFFITH…

Court:District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District

Date published: Jun 20, 1978

Citations

359 So. 2d 915 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1978)

Citing Cases

Shook v. Alter

There is authority that civil contempt cannot be applied against non-parties. Gayety Theatres, Inc. v. State…

Lindman v. Ellis

Lindman was not a party to the foreclosure action and the order authorizing the receiver to vote was not…