, ▁en act ed ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 8 , ▁which ▁read : ▁ ▁Who ever ▁commits ▁the ▁ab omin able ▁and ▁det est able ▁crime ▁against ▁nature , ▁either ▁with ▁man kind ▁or ▁with ▁be ast , ▁shall ▁be ▁pun ished ▁by ▁imprison ment ▁in ▁the ▁state ▁prison ▁not ▁exceed ing ▁twenty ▁years . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁case ▁of ▁Del an ey ▁v . ▁State , ▁ 1 9 6 6 , ▁the ▁high ▁court ▁had ▁previously ▁ruled ▁that ▁although ▁the ▁common ▁law ▁meaning ▁of ▁" cr ime ▁against ▁nature " ▁referred ▁only ▁to ▁" cop ulation ▁per ▁an um ▁and ▁not ▁per ▁os ," ▁the ▁courts ▁of ▁Florida ▁had ▁for ▁dec ades ▁already ▁maintained ▁that ▁ ▁F . ▁S . ▁ 8 0 0 . 0 1 ▁included ▁both ▁or al ▁and ▁anal ▁sex , ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁public ▁could ▁easily ▁find ▁out ▁what ▁the ▁stat ute ▁meant ▁in ▁that ▁regard : ▁ ▁However , ▁five ▁years ▁later ▁in ▁the ▁Franklin ▁case , ▁the ▁court ▁explicitly ▁revers ed ▁itself ▁on ▁this ▁point . ▁ ▁Dec ision ▁In ▁its ▁decision , ▁issued ▁on ▁December ▁ 1 7 , ▁ 1 9 7 1 , ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁over turn ed ▁the ▁fel ony ▁conv ict ions ▁of ▁Franklin ▁and ▁Joy ce , ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁u ph eld ▁on ▁appeal ▁by ▁a ▁district ▁court , ▁and ▁stated : ▁ ▁Thus , ▁cons ens ual ▁sod omy ▁was ▁reduced ▁to ▁a ▁mis de mean or , ▁and ▁the ▁lower ▁court ▁was ▁ordered