California legal term
Obscene live conduct in California Criminal Law
Current through 2026 California legislative session
In California criminal law, “Obscene live conduct” is a term defined by statute rather than by its everyday meaning. Its statutory definition — quoted verbatim below — controls how the term is applied throughout the California criminal code.
What does “Obscene live conduct” mean in California criminal law?
“Obscene live conduct” means any physical human body activity, whether performed or engaged in alone or with other persons, including, but not limited to, singing, speaking, dancing, acting, simulating, or pantomiming, taken as a whole, that to the average person, applying contemporary statewide standards, appeals to the prurient interest and is conduct that, taken as a whole, depicts or describes sexual conduct in a patently offensive way and that, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value. (Cal. Penal Code § 311)
Statutes defining or using this term
Related terms in the same statutes
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.