A. The superior court has jurisdiction to enjoin the sale or distribution of obscene prints and articles, as described in subsection B of this section.

Terms Used In Arizona Laws 13-3505

  • Action: includes any matter or proceeding in a court, civil or criminal. See Arizona Laws 1-215
  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Person: means a human being and, as the context requires, an enterprise, a public or private corporation, an unincorporated association, a partnership, a firm, a society, a government, a governmental authority or an individual or entity capable of holding a legal or beneficial interest in property. See Arizona Laws 13-105
  • Possession: means a voluntary act if the defendant knowingly exercised dominion or control over property. See Arizona Laws 13-105
  • Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
  • Writing: includes printing. See Arizona Laws 1-215

B. The county attorney of any county or the city attorney of any city in which a person, firm, association or corporation publishes, sells or distributes or is about to sell or distribute or has in his possession with intent to sell or distribute or is about to acquire possession with intent to sell or distribute any book, magazine, pamphlet, comic book, story paper, writing, paper, picture, drawing, photograph, figure, image or any written or printed matter of an indecent character, which is obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, indecent or disgusting, or which contains an article or instrument of indecent or immoral use or purports to be for indecent or immoral use or purpose, or in any other respect defined in section 13-3501, may maintain an action on behalf of such county or city for an injunction against such person, firm, association or corporation in the superior court to prevent the sale or further sale or the distribution or further distribution of the acquisition, publication or possession within the state of any book, magazine, pamphlet, comic book, story paper, writing, paper, picture, drawing, photographed figure or image or any written or printed matter of an indecent character, described in this subsection or in section 13-3501.

C. The person, firm, association or corporation sought to be enjoined shall be entitled to a trial of the issues within ten days after joinder of issue and a decision shall be rendered by the court within ten days of the conclusion of the trial.

D. If a final order or judgment of injunction is entered against the person, firm, association or corporation sought to be enjoined, such final order of judgment shall contain a provision directing the person, firm, association or corporation to surrender to the sheriff of the county in which the action was brought any of the matter described in subsection B of this section and such sheriff shall be directed to seize and destroy such obscene prints and articles.

E. In any action brought as provided in this section, such county attorney or city attorney bringing the action shall not be required to file any undertaking before the issuance of an injunction order provided for in subsection C of this section.

F. The sheriff directed to seize and destroy such obscene prints and articles shall not be liable for damages sustained by reason of the injunction order in cases where judgment is rendered in favor of the person, firm, association or corporation sought to be enjoined.

G. Every person, firm, association or corporation who sells, distributes, or acquires possession with intent to sell or distribute any of the matter described in subsection B of this section, after the service upon him of a summons and complaint in an action brought pursuant to this section is chargeable with knowledge of the contents thereof.

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