Cartoon Ruled Obscene, 6 month Jail Sentence: 1969
This image is a page print of Washington Free Press, dated March 15-31, 1969 that was ruled obscene in the trial of J. Brinton Dillingham on April 7, 1969. Dillingham was sentenced to six months in jail.
The image is a caricature of Maryland Circuit Court Judge James H. Pugh who ordered a grand jury investigation of the Free Press March 3, 1969 for alleged violation of Maryland’s anti-subversion laws. The drawing shows instruments of torture handing from the dais while Pugh masturbates.
In addition to Pugh’s grand jury investigation of the Free Press, he had a long history of handing out harsh sentences.
The image was part of a seven page Free Press response to Pugh’s subversion probe of the paper and was intended to show that Pugh received sexual gratification from handing out the sentences.
The arrest and conviction of Dillingham were part of a year long campaign 1969-70 to suppress the Free Press that included the grand jury investigation, multiple obscenity charges, raids on their offices, a break-in of their offices and arrests of store owners and street corner distributors of the paper. The campaign succeeded in closing the Free Press.
Dillingham’s conviction was appealed and the Maryland Court of Special Appeals reversed the ruling and found the caricature of Judge Pugh was not obscene.
The grand jury ultimately returned no indictments. As a result of court appeals of actions taken against the Free Press, obscenity convictions were overturned, Maryland’s anti-subversive law was gutted and laws and rules against street sellers of newspapers were voided.
For an article on the Washington Free Press battle, see washingtonspark.wordpress.com/2012/11/07/washington-free-...
For additional images, see the Flickr set “Free Press Battle: 1969.” flic.kr/s/aHsjCKTitQ
This image is a page print of the tabloid size 11 x 17 Washington Free Press, Volume III, No. 1 dated March 15-31, 1969, page 9.
Cartoon Ruled Obscene, 6 month Jail Sentence: 1969
This image is a page print of Washington Free Press, dated March 15-31, 1969 that was ruled obscene in the trial of J. Brinton Dillingham on April 7, 1969. Dillingham was sentenced to six months in jail.
The image is a caricature of Maryland Circuit Court Judge James H. Pugh who ordered a grand jury investigation of the Free Press March 3, 1969 for alleged violation of Maryland’s anti-subversion laws. The drawing shows instruments of torture handing from the dais while Pugh masturbates.
In addition to Pugh’s grand jury investigation of the Free Press, he had a long history of handing out harsh sentences.
The image was part of a seven page Free Press response to Pugh’s subversion probe of the paper and was intended to show that Pugh received sexual gratification from handing out the sentences.
The arrest and conviction of Dillingham were part of a year long campaign 1969-70 to suppress the Free Press that included the grand jury investigation, multiple obscenity charges, raids on their offices, a break-in of their offices and arrests of store owners and street corner distributors of the paper. The campaign succeeded in closing the Free Press.
Dillingham’s conviction was appealed and the Maryland Court of Special Appeals reversed the ruling and found the caricature of Judge Pugh was not obscene.
The grand jury ultimately returned no indictments. As a result of court appeals of actions taken against the Free Press, obscenity convictions were overturned, Maryland’s anti-subversive law was gutted and laws and rules against street sellers of newspapers were voided.
For an article on the Washington Free Press battle, see washingtonspark.wordpress.com/2012/11/07/washington-free-...
For additional images, see the Flickr set “Free Press Battle: 1969.” flic.kr/s/aHsjCKTitQ
This image is a page print of the tabloid size 11 x 17 Washington Free Press, Volume III, No. 1 dated March 15-31, 1969, page 9.