Home > Great American Court Cases > United States v. One Book Called Ulysses

Legal Citation: 5 F.Supp. 182 (1933)

Plaintiff
State of New York

Defendant
One Book Entitled Ulysses by James Joyce

Plaintiff's Claim
The book violated national standards for obscenity.

Chief Lawyers for Plaintiff
Nicholas Atlas, Samuel C. Coleman, Martin Conboy

Chief Defense Lawyers
Morris L. Ernst, Alexander Lindey

Judge
John M. Woolsey

Place
New York, New York

Date of Decision
26 November 1933

Decision
The book was ruled not obscene.

Significance
Judge John Woolsey's decision in the Ulysses case marked a notable change in the policies of the courts and legislative bodies of the United States toward obscenity. Before this decision, it was universally agreed that a) laws prohibiting obscenity were not in conflict with the First Amendment...