Cambridge's drive to rid local news-stands of cheap editions of so-called "sex books" may end in court prosecutions for several of the banned volumes, it was learned yesterday.

Middlesex County District Attorney George E. Thompson said last night that city police have submitted "at least three books" to his office as possible targets for court action. He did not disclose their titles or authors.

"We're not literary experts, but we know vulgarity when we see it," Police Chief" Patrick F. Ready stated. "Our action was based on two good standards for decency what we were taught at home and what we learned from our religion."

Thompson expects to file his legal ecommendations to the Middlesex County Court by the end of the week. City detectives said that several stands in the Square had been canvassed in the search for "obscene" pocket-sized books. One official added that the police are considering taking a similar action against bookstores who sell higher-priced editions of some of the banned volumes.