67:." The legislation was last updated in 2003, and Section 43.23 currently states, "A person commits an offense if, knowing its content and character, he wholesale promotes or possesses with intent to wholesale promote any obscene material or obscene device." Section (f) of the law also criminalizes the possession of six or more devices (or "multiple identical or similar" devices) as "presumed to possess them with intent to promote."
167:
On
November 4, 2008, U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel released a two-page document dated October 29, 2008, in which he stated that the Texas Attorney General's Office notified him that they would not file a writ of certiorari with the Supreme Court. The next month, on November 13, Yeakel filed a "joint
140:
rules that
Section 43.23 is unconstitutional, the promotion of obscene devices remains illegal. Therefore, despite the actions of the federal courts and the Texas Attorney General described elsewhere in this article, Section 43.23 remains in effect in the twenty-county area of Texas within the
168:
status report" that noted the parties had come to an agreement. "Texas Penal Code §§ 43.23, to the extent that it applies to 'obscene devices' as defined in Texas Penal Code § 43.21(a)(7), is declared to be facially unconstitutional and unenforceable throughout the State of Texas".
75:
Prosecution under the statute is rare but has occasionally occurred. In 2001, attorneys Mary and Ted
Roberts used the obscenity statute in an elaborate extortion scheme against a number of men who had engaged in extramarital relations with Mary Roberts. In
100:
Reliable
Consultants, Inc., who operate four retail stores in Texas that carry a stock of sexual devices, and PHE, Inc., which is also engaged in the retail distribution of sexual devices through their website and catalogs, both filed
110:
149:
118:
315:
35:. The law was introduced in 1973, and was last updated in 2003. While the law was never formally repealed, in 2008 a U.S. District Judge released a report declaring it to be "
84:
to two undercover police officers posing as a married couple at a private party. She was later acquitted, and the undercover officers were issued reprimands. In 2007, a
92:
was raided, and items "deemed to be illegal by the Texas Penal Code" were confiscated. The clerk on duty at the time was arrested, but charges were later dropped.
445:
411:
522:
475:
114:
205:
281:
55:, which, in part, prohibited the sale or promotion of "obscene devices." The statute defines "obscene device" as "a device including a
606:
157:
311:
259:
121:
of the U.S. Constitution". The State of Texas filed a petition on
February 22, 2008, for the Circuit Court to rehear the argument
554:
137:
437:
345:
177:
153:
117:
overturned the statute on
February 12, 2008, by a vote of 2–1, holding that "the statute has provisions that violate the
386:
611:
415:
571:
532:
467:
601:
372:
227:
129:
555:"2008-11-13 Texas Western Court Order Obscenity Law | PDF | Attorney's Fee | Judgment (Law)"
616:
591:
156:
in
Alabama. The presence of a "circuit split" is one of the factors that increases the likelihood of the
148:. The refusal created a split between federal circuits: the 5th Circuit overturned the Texas law and the
136:, addressed the ruling of the federal Court of Appeals. The 13th Court of Appeals ruled that until the
201:
576:
497:
468:"Dildos & Sexually Obscene "Toys" Illegal in Texas … for now | Austin Attorney Dax Garvin"
289:
81:
596:
249:
60:
48:
106:
52:
36:
337:
77:
89:
585:
164:
and ruling in order to clear up the disagreement between the two Courts of
Appeals.
527:
144:
On August 1, 2008, the Fifth
Circuit denied Texas's request to re-hear the case
161:
64:
387:"Welcome to the official site of the Thirteenth Court of Appeals of Texas"
390:
85:
122:
102:
28:
24:
80:
in 2004, Joanne Webb faced up to one year in prison for selling a
63:, designed or marketed as useful primarily for the stimulation of
56:
32:
235:
312:"Lubbock District Attorney Drops Charges Against Lingerie Store"
254:
111:
United States
District Court for the Western District of Texas
577:
PDF Version of Circuit Court Opinion (Rev Mar 10, 2008)
16:
Unconstitutional Texas law banning the sale of sex toys
338:"PHE v. State of Texas, Intervenor-Defendant-Appellee"
105:
against the legislation, claiming that the statute is
232:Texas District & County Attorneys Association
8:
414:. 13thcoa.courts.state.tx.us. Archived from
389:. 13thcoa.courts.state.tx.us. Archived from
250:"Texas mom faces trial for selling sex toys"
141:jurisdiction of the 13th Court of Appeals.
113:, a three-judge panel of the United States
368:Reliable Consultants, Inc v. Ronnie Earle
202:"Penal Code Chapter 43. Public Indecency"
412:"Texas Judiciary Online - HTML Opinion"
208:from the original on September 18, 2012
190:
438:"Are Dildos Illegal in Texas (again)?"
385:Texas Office of Court Administration.
375: (5th Cir. February 22, 2008).
318:from the original on December 10, 2021
115:Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
262:from the original on January 10, 2013
7:
196:
194:
442:Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog
478:from the original on July 16, 2012
448:from the original on July 30, 2012
348:from the original on July 15, 2017
158:Supreme Court of the United States
14:
436:Guest, Robert (October 6, 2008).
228:"There's something about Mary1 …"
132:in Corpus Christi in the case of
498:"United States Court of Appeals"
521:Brayton, Ed (August 11, 2008).
138:Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
523:"Dildos at the Supreme Court?"
288:. May 21, 2007. Archived from
204:. Statutes.legis.state.tx.us.
178:Anti-Obscenity Enforcement Act
154:Anti-Obscenity Enforcement Act
1:
373: 06-51067 & 06-51104
152:upheld the nearly identical
51:passed Section 43.21 of the
282:"Police Raid Lingerie Shop"
633:
607:Sex offender registration
128:On July 3, 2008, Texas's
37:facially unconstitutional
572:Austin Chronicle article
109:. In an appeal from the
27:prohibiting the sale of
21:Texas obscenity statute
258:. February 11, 2004.
130:13th Court of Appeals
474:. January 31, 2012.
119:Fourteenth Amendment
65:human genital organs
39:and unenforceable."
535:on October 18, 2008
160:granting a writ of
503:. Ca5.uscourts.gov
134:Villareal v. State
314:. July 16, 2007.
180:(Alabama statute)
61:artificial vagina
49:Texas Legislature
624:
612:1973 legislation
559:
558:
551:
545:
544:
542:
540:
531:. Archived from
518:
512:
511:
509:
508:
502:
494:
488:
487:
485:
483:
464:
458:
457:
455:
453:
433:
427:
426:
424:
423:
408:
402:
401:
399:
398:
382:
376:
370:
364:
358:
357:
355:
353:
334:
328:
327:
325:
323:
308:
302:
301:
299:
297:
278:
272:
271:
269:
267:
246:
240:
239:
238:on May 16, 2008.
234:. Archived from
224:
218:
217:
215:
213:
198:
107:unconstitutional
71:Prosecuted cases
53:Texas Penal Code
632:
631:
627:
626:
625:
623:
622:
621:
582:
581:
568:
563:
562:
553:
552:
548:
538:
536:
520:
519:
515:
506:
504:
500:
496:
495:
491:
481:
479:
466:
465:
461:
451:
449:
435:
434:
430:
421:
419:
410:
409:
405:
396:
394:
384:
383:
379:
366:
365:
361:
351:
349:
336:
335:
331:
321:
319:
310:
309:
305:
295:
293:
292:on May 25, 2007
280:
279:
275:
265:
263:
248:
247:
243:
226:
225:
221:
211:
209:
200:
199:
192:
187:
174:
98:
73:
45:
17:
12:
11:
5:
630:
628:
620:
619:
614:
609:
604:
602:Texas statutes
599:
594:
584:
583:
580:
579:
574:
567:
566:External links
564:
561:
560:
546:
513:
489:
459:
428:
403:
377:
359:
329:
303:
273:
241:
219:
189:
188:
186:
183:
182:
181:
173:
170:
97:
94:
72:
69:
44:
41:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
629:
618:
617:1973 in Texas
615:
613:
610:
608:
605:
603:
600:
598:
595:
593:
592:Obscenity law
590:
589:
587:
578:
575:
573:
570:
569:
565:
556:
550:
547:
534:
530:
529:
524:
517:
514:
499:
493:
490:
477:
473:
469:
463:
460:
447:
443:
439:
432:
429:
418:on 2016-01-12
417:
413:
407:
404:
393:on 2013-08-25
392:
388:
381:
378:
374:
369:
363:
360:
347:
343:
339:
333:
330:
317:
313:
307:
304:
291:
287:
283:
277:
274:
261:
257:
256:
251:
245:
242:
237:
233:
229:
223:
220:
207:
203:
197:
195:
191:
184:
179:
176:
175:
171:
169:
165:
163:
159:
155:
151:
147:
142:
139:
135:
131:
126:
124:
120:
116:
112:
108:
104:
95:
93:
91:
87:
83:
79:
70:
68:
66:
62:
58:
54:
50:
47:In 1973, the
42:
40:
38:
34:
30:
26:
22:
549:
537:. Retrieved
533:the original
528:ScienceBlogs
526:
516:
505:. Retrieved
492:
480:. Retrieved
471:
462:
450:. Retrieved
441:
431:
420:. Retrieved
416:the original
406:
395:. Retrieved
391:the original
380:
367:
362:
350:. Retrieved
341:
332:
320:. Retrieved
306:
294:. Retrieved
290:the original
285:
276:
264:. Retrieved
253:
244:
236:the original
231:
222:
210:. Retrieved
166:
150:11th Circuit
145:
143:
133:
127:
99:
74:
46:
20:
18:
586:Categories
539:August 11,
507:2013-09-01
422:2013-09-01
397:2013-09-01
185:References
162:certiorari
472:Dax Legal
286:klbk13.tv
597:Sex toys
482:July 15,
476:Archived
452:July 15,
446:Archived
352:July 15,
346:Archived
322:July 15,
316:Archived
266:July 15,
260:Archived
212:July 15,
206:Archived
172:See also
103:lawsuits
88:shop in
86:lingerie
82:vibrator
78:Burleson
29:sex toys
342:FindLaw
296:May 21,
146:en banc
123:en banc
96:Appeals
90:Lubbock
43:History
25:statute
371:,
501:(PDF)
57:dildo
33:Texas
23:is a
541:2008
484:2017
454:2017
354:2017
324:2022
298:2007
268:2017
214:2017
19:The
255:CNN
59:or
31:in
588::
525:.
470:.
444:.
440:.
344:.
340:.
284:.
252:.
230:.
193:^
125:.
557:.
543:.
510:.
486:.
456:.
425:.
400:.
356:.
326:.
300:.
270:.
216:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.