Neb. Rev. Stat. » Chapter 28
Nebraska Revised Statutes

Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-814 (2026)

Criminal prosecutions; trial by jury; waiver; instructions to jury; expert witness

✓ text as last checked Oct. 2026 (this copy records no edition or section history)
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(1) Criminal prosecutions involving the ultimate issue of obscenity, as distinguished from the issue of probable cause, shall be tried by jury, unless the defendant shall waive a jury trial in writing or by statement in open court entered on the record.

(2) The judge shall instruct the jury that the guidelines in determining whether a work, material, conduct, or live exhibition is obscene are: (a) The average person applying contemporary community standards would find the work taken as a whole goes substantially beyond contemporary limits of candor in description or presentation of such matters and predominantly appeals to the prurient, shameful, or morbid interest; (b) the work depicts in a patently offensive way sexual conduct specifically referred to in sections 28-807 to 28-829; (c) the work as a whole lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value; and (d) in applying these guidelines to the determination of whether or not the work, material, conduct, or live exhibition is obscene, each element of each guideline must be established beyond a reasonable doubt.

(3) In any proceeding, civil or criminal, under sections 28-807 to 28-829, where there is an issue as to whether or not the matter is obscene, either party shall have the right to introduce, in addition to all other relevant evidence, the testimony of expert witnesses on such issue as to any artistic, literary, scientific, political, or other societal value in the determination of the issue of obscenity.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 5 cases, 1987–2002 · leading case: Tipp-It, Inc. v. Conboy, 596 N.W.2d 304 (Neb. 1999).
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Tipp-It, Inc. v. Conboy, 596 N.W.2d 304 (Neb. 1999). · cites it 4× “§ 28-820 (Reissue 1995), seeking a judgment that certain putative works of art, namely exhibits 1 through 3, were not obscene within the definition of obscenity contained in Neb. Rev.Stat. § 28-814 (Reissue 1995). Martin J.”
Main Street Movies, Inc. v. Wellman, 557 N.W.2d 641 (Neb. 1997). · cites it 2× “Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-814 (2) (Reissue 1995) declares that the guidelines in determining whether a work, material, conduct, or live exhibition is obscene are: (a) The average person applying contemporary community standards would find the work taken as a whole goes substantially…”
State v. High, 407 N.W.2d 776 (Neb. 1987). · cites it 3× “Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-814 (Reissue 1985) provides in part: (1) Criminal prosecutions involving the ultimate issue of obscenity.”
State v. Harrold, 585 N.W.2d 532 (Neb. Ct. App. 1998). · cites it 6× “Neb.Rev.Stat. §§ 28-814 and 28-815 (Reissue 1995); Main Street Movies v.”
State v. Haltom, 642 N.W.2d 807 (Neb. 2002). · cites it 2× “” See, also, Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-814 (2) (Reissue 1995) (requiring jury instruction using similar language).”
Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-814(1): 1 case
State v. Harrold, 585 N.W.2d 532 (Neb. Ct. App. 1998). “Neb.Rev.Stat. §§ 28-814 and 28-815 (Reissue 1995); Main Street Movies v.”
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