Roth v. United States

Roth v. United States was a landmark 1957 Supreme Court case that addressed the definition of obscenity in relation to free speech under the First Amendment. Samuel Roth was convicted for mailing obscene materials. The Court concluded that obscenity is not protected by free speech rights, establishing a test to determine obscenity based on community standards. The ruling emphasized that material could be considered obscene if it appeals to prurient interests and lacks serious artistic, literary, or scientific value. This case set important precedents for how obscenity is evaluated in legal contexts.