People v. Samuels
Court of Appeals of California
250 Cal. App. 2d 501 (1967)
Relevant factsFree
Marvin Samuels (defendant) made sadomasochistic films depicting men being whipped and sent one to a photo lab, which turned it over to police. Samuels claimed the whipping in an admitted film was faked with cosmetics, but three film experts testified the injuries progressively developed with no splices or retouching, confirming the whipping and injuries were real and the participant had responded to a request for volunteers. A jury convicted Samuels of aggravated and simple assault, and he appealed, arguing the participant's consent should be a complete defense.
IssueFree
Whether the consent of a victim is generally a defense to assault.