Any obscene book, pamphlet, ballad, printed paper, or other thing mentioned in § 11-31-1 found by any officer in executing a search warrant or which shall be produced and brought into court shall be forfeited to the state. Further proceedings shall be had on them for their forfeiture as is prescribed by law in chapter 21 of Title 12, and upon entry of final judgment of forfeiture the item shall be destroyed by order of the court. However, if any book, pamphlet, ballad, printed paper or other thing mentioned in § 11-31-1 is seized by any officer in executing a search warrant, it shall not be forfeited to the state unless the person, firm, corporation, or association claiming a proprietary interest in and to it or in whose possession it is found has been accorded the opportunity for a hearing on the question of whether it is obscene as provided by § 12-5-8.

History of Section.
G.L. 1896, ch. 281, § 14; G.L. 1909, ch. 347, § 15; P.L. 1915, ch. 1219, § 2; G.L. 1923, ch. 399, § 15; G.L. 1938, ch. 610, § 15; G.L. 1956, § 11-31-2; P.L. 1965, ch. 168, § 6; P.L. 1966, ch. 259, § 2.