NL- This was a really tough case because of the subject matter, basically shit & animals. Ira has been through a lot. I have not seen the videos, so all I can say is that I am for freedom of speech, and expression of art. I hope Ira gets probation… What do you guys think?
By Victoria Kim and Aida Ahmad,from http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-obscenity-trial-20120428,0,1579827.story
April 28, 2012
Five years after he was first indicted and after two prosecutions ended in mistrials, a Los Angeles-based maker and distributor of niche fetish films was convicted Friday of federal obscenity charges.
Ira Isaacs, who produced, sold and sometimes acted in films depicting scatology and bestiality, was convicted on five counts of selling and distributing obscene material, based on films he sold through a site he advertised as "the Web’s largest fetish VHS, DVD superstore."
The seven-woman, five-man jury deliberated for less than two hours Friday after a weeklong trial, the bulk of which was made up of the screening of four films, two of them Isaacs’ own creations. Jurors ranged in age from 27 to 64, and included a truck driver, architect, mental health therapist and teacher.
Isaacs’ first trial in 2008 was halted after the judge recused himself, after the Times revealed that his personal website contained some sexually explicit material. His second trial earlier this year ended in a mistrial after jurors deadlocked, 10 to 2 in favor of conviction.
Isaacs, 60, took the stand in his own defense this week, claiming his intent was to create "shock art" inspired by authors and artists including Franz Kafka and Marcel Duchamp. After creating artwork for coupon mailers, he turned to fetish film because he wanted a subject matter that could set him apart, he testified.
"I’m an artist and my stuff is art because I say it is," he said. "Art is what artists do."
Before his testimony, the filmmaker was sternly admonished by U.S. District Judge George H. King not to launch into a lecture about the history and definition of art. In a previous ruling, King refused to allow Isaacs to testify as an expert on the topic.
"We can save a lot of time if we’re not taking art lesson 101 from Professor Isaacs," the judge said outside the jury’s presence.
Under the legal definition of obscenity, the material in question must have no serious artistic, scientific, literary or political value, in addition to appealing to prurient interests and being offensive by community standards.
In cross-examination, prosecutor Damon King noted that Isaacs’ websites contain no mention of "art" or "artistic." King also asked Isaacs to acknowledge some of the acts he performed in one of his films, "Hollywood Scat Amateurs #7," in which he is holding the camera and giving commands to a female performer.
King also pressed Isaacs on whether he told a former employee, who testified at the trial, that, "There are a lot of sick people out there … it’s all about making money from sick people." Isaacs denied making such statements.
In closing arguments Friday, King told jurors that Isaacs’ artistic claims were "obviously simply a desperate attempt by the defendant to avoid being held accountable under the law."
Isaacs’ attorney, Roger Diamond, accused prosecutors of trying to inflame emotions against Isaacs, and told jurors that at its crux, the case was about freedom of speech.
"This transcends the movies that you saw, this case is about the Constitution of the United States," he said. "The question here is whether or not the 1st Amendment means anything."
Diamond cast Isaacs’ prosecution, which was initiated under a Bush administration task force on obscenity and tried by attorneys flown in from Washington D.C., as an attack on Southern California’s liberal and progressive leanings.
"We’re dealing in this case with a kind of culture war," he said.
Isaacs, who remains free on bail before his Aug. 6 sentencing, said he was disappointed by the jury’s decision.
A Department of Justice spokeswoman said the government is pleased with the verdict, and that it intends on seizing master copies of the films in question and the video-duplicating equipment used in distribution.
Each count carries a maximum of five years in prison.
How shitty. I think “shit as art” describes much of modern corporate music, as well as fake “reality” shows and contrived documents such as the 9/11 Commission on terrorist attacks, etc. The short version of “Shock Art” would be “shart”, which is what happens when you shit and fart simultaneously. Many things I’ve seen, obscene. The literal depiction of shitting is, by far, the most innocuous.
I think scat and beast stuff is totally disgusting and vile. Having said that I question why they spend the resources to have 3 court trials to finally convict this guy? You mean to tell me there aren’t enough serial killers, bank robbers, and rapists in this country that they have to go after this little shlub for his “dirty” movies?
The Feds crack me up, they prosecute this shit but Derek Hay walks the street a free man even though he is a pimp and now we have Fabian the Fuhrer, whatever happened to the de facto money laundering from Brazzers a couple of years ago? Or was that taken care of when the three stooges who started the company bailed?
Drinking donkey semen and urine on Fear Factor…..NOT OBSCENE. It’s entertainment, obviously. Shock entertainment is protected speech when it’s done by big networks/corporations whose motives are higher than money.
I asked the dog from Japanese Doggie Threeway how he was feeling about the verdict. He said, “Ruff.”
Exactly. Sleep safe tonight, America. The threat has passed.
I agree, Brandon. Fear Factor and Jackass are even more obscene…
Jackass 3D has footage of the “poo village” scene. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSGZWxiw7L4
Ch-ching went the cash registers. If Isaacs is guilty, how is that not obscene, too?
What a bullshit, expensive, needless, three-trials-to-get-the-result-you-want witch hunt.
I guess we won’t be seeing any “Feces Factor” anytime soon. Yeah, Jackass, showed the guy defecating in a toilet that was for sale in a shop, not connected by piping. WTF! How stupid, this hypocrisy.
The best thing Ira can do is make sure he has a very competent attorney that is well versed in the federal system and that the judge respects said attorney. he may want to consider obtaining another attorney for sentencing cindy. In addition thereto he needs to get as many Character references in affidavit form and not from porn industry, and hope for a House arrest where he would wear an ankle bracelet and pay the attorney should offer to pay a big fine.
Larry Manwin forfieted almost 9M dollars and the money laudering charges were “settled”
As for Ira theres a LOT more to this story Ira and Max made fundamental mistakes and you might say “karma” caught up with them. Constitutional issues aside there’s a lesson to be learned…you will read it next week on mikesouth.com
Thank you Mr South
No worries brudda…I try to keep track of the scumbags in this biz but honestly its gettin to the point theres too many to keep track of LOL
But Manwin is HIGH on my radar
so is ICM Registry
y’all were slapping eachother on the back and saying ‘serves him right’ with the max thing (you know who you are.) welcome to the reality that is america.
I guess it’s not a matter of whether or not it’s shit we’re dealing with (Jackass is a good example), but which asshole.
I saw a documentary on Sonic Youth and Thurstan Moore shared with the audience the turd in the toilet he had just given birth to.
Why isn’t this man behind bars? just kidding.
Ira aint gonna get probation…that ship sailed a long time ago.
If you want to know how Ira wound up in the situation he did its all on http://www.mikesouth.com
when you shit on the people who work for you dont be surprised when they shit on you…pun intended.