United States v. Cote, 72-2417. Summary Calendar.

Decision Date15 January 1973
Docket NumberNo. 72-2417. Summary Calendar.,72-2417. Summary Calendar.
Citation470 F.2d 755
PartiesUNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Robert E. COTE, Defendant-Appellant.
CourtU.S. Court of Appeals — Fifth Circuit

George Grove, Jr., Beverly Hills, Cal., for defendant-appellant.

Frank McCown, U. S. Atty., Alex H. McGlinchey, Asst. U. S. Atty., Fort Worth, Tex., for plaintiff-appellee.

Before BELL, DYER and CLARK, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:

Robert E. Cote pled guilty to four counts of mailing obscene films, magazines and circulars in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1461. On this appeal he seeks to have his pleas and the judgment of the court below set aside, contending that the mailed materials were not obscene as a matter of law and that 18 U.S.C. § 1461 is unconstitutional. We affirm.

At the outset we reject as without merit his attack on the validity of the statute. That his argument based on Stanley v. Georgia, 394 U.S. 557, 89 S.Ct. 1243, 22 L.Ed.2d 542 (1969), has no merit is made apparent by the more recent decisions of United States v. Thirty-seven Photographs, 402 U.S. 363, 91 S.Ct. 1400, 28 L.Ed.2d 822 (1971), and United States v. Reidel, 402 U.S. 351, 91 S.Ct. 1410, 28 L.Ed.2d 813 (1971). Nor is the statute subject to attack under the other numerous theories advanced by the appellant. See Ginzburg v. United States, 383 U.S. 463, 86 S.Ct. 942, 16 L.Ed.2d 31; reh. den. 384 U.S. 934, 86 S.Ct. 1440, 16 L.Ed. 2d 536 (1966).

Cote's remaining contention that the mailed material is not obscene as a matter of law is equally without merit. While represented by retained counsel unusually experienced in these matters, Cote pled guilty. Thus, he admitted each and every averment of the indictment. United States v. Fragus, 422 F.2d 1244, opinion supplemented 428 F.2d 1211 (5th Cir. 1970). We further note that at the time this plea was received, the careful trial judge pointed out that it was his opinion such a plea would finally and completely determine the issue of obscenity vel non of the material.

Affirmed.

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4 cases
  • United States v. Marks
    • United States
    • U.S. District Court — Eastern District of Kentucky
    • October 5, 1973
    ...which rebuked challenges leveled against substantially identical language in 18 U.S.C. §§ 1461 and 1462. See also United States v. Cote, 5th Cir., 470 F.2d 755 (1972). A statutory provision will not suffer constitutional invalidation merely because of a lack of complete precision. The fact ......
  • Clicque v. U.S., 74-1322
    • United States
    • U.S. Court of Appeals — Fifth Circuit
    • June 13, 1975
    ...defendant pleaded guilty to mailing obscene material, and then took a direct appeal. In the case's original appearance before this Court, 470 F.2d 755, Cote claimed that as a matter of law the material was not obscene. In a short affirmance, we said: While represented by retained counsel un......
  • State v. Brunson
    • United States
    • New Jersey Supreme Court
    • December 12, 1985
    ... ... United States, 250 U.S. 583, 586, 40 S.Ct. 28, 29, 63 ... ...
  • U.S. v. Norquay, 92-1492
    • United States
    • U.S. Court of Appeals — Eighth Circuit
    • February 8, 1993
    ... ... 38 Fed. R. Evid. Serv. 162 ... UNITED STATES, Appellee, ... Gerald Baptiste NORQUAY, ... ...

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