Lawrence G. Walters
Born (1963-11-11) November 11, 1963[1][2]
Chicago[1][2]
OccupationAttorney

Lawrence G. Walters (born 11 November 1963) is an American First Amendment attorney and anti-censorship advocate. He is the head of the Walters Law Group, focusing on First Amendment and Internet law, and has served as an Adjunct Professor of Legal Studies at the University of Central Florida.

Early life and education

Walters was born in and grew up in Chicago. He graduated from the University of Central Florida in 1985.[2] He received his JD from Florida State University with honors.[3]

Walters is an expert in adult entertainment and obscenity law who represents clients in the live webcam industry.[4] He also specializes in online gaming and sports betting law.[5][6][7] Walters works in the field of free speech, and represents the interests of the online entertainment community, and began his career as an attorney in 1988.[8] He has defended website operators in high-profile obscenity cases.[9][10] In 1999, Walters defended Tammy Robinson in the first obscenity case based on website content.[11] Walters has defended Chris Wilson against more than 300 obscenity charges arising from his operation of a controversial website which included images from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The case represented the first obscenity prosecution against a website based on user-generated content.[11]

In 2007, Walters defended Karen Fletcher,[12] who was charged with obscenity based on written stories published on her website in a case tested the boundaries of obscenity law.[13] In 2008, he was appointed President of the First Amendment Lawyers Association.[14] Walters also defended Clinton McCowen, where he introduced Google Trends evidence showing that online users were more interested in sexually explicit topics[15] than in generic terms like "apple pie"[16] or "watermelon." The case was settled shortly after Walters issues a subpoena to Google for supporting evidence.[17]

Walters is also known as an advocate for the free speech rights of protesters,[18] street performers,[19] and topless dancers.[20] For example, in 2006 he won an appellate court victory upholding the First Amendment right of a topless protester in Daytona Beach, Florida.[21] Walters has also worked with the online gambling industry, representing GoldenPalace.com against the Commonwealth of Kentucky in the state's efforts to seize[22] the domain based on alleged gambling violations. He has also represented internet cafes[23] in constitutional challenges[24] to local ordinances banning the use of simulated gambling devices.[25]

In 2009, Walters began representing teens accused of sex offenses based on sexting behavior[26][27][28] and advocating changes in states' laws relating to teen sexting.[29] Walters has also developed apps used by content producers to comply with federal age verification laws and enforce copyrights.[30]

In 2018, Walters filed a constitutional challenge to the federal law known as the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017 (FOSTA), on behalf of the Woodhull Sexual Freedom Alliance, and others.[31] The plaintiffs argue that the law violates the First Amendment and puts sex workers at risk.[32][33] Walters also represents Rebekah Jones, a geographer turned whistleblower who was fired by the State of Florida for allegedly failing to manipulate COVID 19 data whose claims the Office of Inspector General later found to be unsubstantiated or unfounded; those she accused were exonerated of any misconduct.[34] He sued the Florida Department of Law Enforcement after it raided her home and seized her computer data.[35][36]

References

  1. 1 2 Baird, Albert Craig; Thonssen, Lester; Braden, Waldo Warder; Peterson, Owen (2003). Representative American Speeches. H.W. Wilson Company.
  2. 1 2 3 Martindale - Hubbell Law Directory 1998: With Study Guide. Martindale-Hubbell. September 1997. ISBN 978-1-56160-249-0.
  3. ↑ Albert Craig Baird, Lester Thonssen, Waldo Warder Braden, Owen Peterson (2003). Representative American Speeches, Volume 75, Issue 6. H.W. Wilson Company. p. 117.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ↑ "The New York Times". First Amendment Law. Archived from the original on 2018-06-18. Retrieved 2021-03-05.
  5. ↑ Borden, Sam (30 March 2012). "Neighborhood Bookies Putting Lines Online (Published 2012)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  6. ↑ Richtel, Matt (20 September 2011). "Poker Web Site Cheated Users, U.S. Suit Says (Published 2011)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  7. ↑ Richtel, Matt (15 April 2011). "U.S. Cracks Down on Online Gambling (Published 2011)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 22 February 2021. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  8. ↑ "Larry Walters Marks 30 Years Defending Free Speech | YNOT". 29 October 2018. Archived from the original on 17 January 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  9. ↑ "Top vote recipients of 2006 win peer approval". www.bizjournals.com. Archived from the original on 2013-12-21. Retrieved 2012-10-25.
  10. ↑ Willhoit, Dana. "Lawyer Has Experience With Web Obscenity Cases". The Ledger. Archived from the original on 2019-01-17. Retrieved 2019-01-17.
  11. 1 2 "Couple fights community standards in online porn case". Associated Press. September 5, 2000. Archived from the original on 2008-12-01. Retrieved 2012-10-25.
  12. ↑ Deitch, Charlie. "Dirty Words". Pittsburgh City Paper. Archived from the original on 2013-12-13. Retrieved 2012-10-25.
  13. ↑ Lewis, Neil A. (28 September 2007). "A Prosecution Tests the Definition of Obscenity (Published 2007)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 17 January 2019. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
  14. ↑ "FALA Defends Our Rights". XBIZ. Archived from the original on 2019-01-17. Retrieved 2019-01-17.
  15. ↑ "Defense Files New Petition in Ray Guhn Case". XBIZ. Archived from the original on 2011-10-20. Retrieved 2012-10-25.
  16. ↑ "Citing Google, pornographer claims orgies are bigger than apple pie". Salon. 24 June 2008. Archived from the original on 8 January 2014. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
  17. ↑ "Obscenity trial?". www.newstatesman.com. Archived from the original on 2012-09-26. Retrieved 2012-10-25.
  18. ↑ "The 'Naked' Truth! Protestor Wins Court Victory". Fox News. Archived from the original on 2013-12-24. Retrieved 2014-01-02.
  19. ↑ "Street performers, ACLU team up". 10 September 2000. Archived from the original on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
  20. ↑ " "Dancers rally vs. adult club bill".
  21. ↑ "Appeals court upholds woman's right to protest while topless". 12 October 2006. Archived from the original on 18 December 2013. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
  22. ↑ "Judge Wingate's Decision on Internet Gambling Domains is All Symbolic Now". OSGA. Archived from the original on 2013-12-13. Retrieved 2012-10-25.
  23. ↑ "Internet cafes take a gamble". 1 August 2012.
  24. ↑ Suit seeks halt to Hillsborough crackdown on Internet sweepstakes cafes Archived 2013-01-23 at the Wayback Machine (2011-12-11) Retrieved from http://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/civil/suit-seeks-halt-to-hillsborough-crackdown-on-internet-sweepstakes-cafes/1207175 Archived 2013-01-23 at the Wayback Machine on (2014-01-03)
  25. ↑ Internet cafés still running in Seminole despite ruling supporting ban Archived 2013-01-10 at the Wayback Machine (2012-04-12)Retrieved from http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-04-04/news/os-internet-cafe-ban-seminole-20120403_1_internet-caf-allied-veterans-cafes Archived 2013-01-10 at the Wayback Machine on (2014-01-03)
  26. ↑ Archived 2011-11-06 at the Wayback Machine Sexting teenagers face child-porn charges(2009-03-08) Retrieved from http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2009-03-08/news/orl-asec-sexting-030809_1_sexting-face-child-porn-charges-nude-photos Archived 2011-11-06 at the Wayback Machine on (2014-01-03)
  27. ↑ Archived 2021-03-06 at the Wayback Machine 'Sexting' lands teen on sex offender list (2009-04-08) Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/04/07/sexting.busts/index.html?_s=PM:CRIME Archived 2021-03-06 at the Wayback Machine on (2013-12-10)
  28. ↑ "Sexting Discussed on The View". Youtube.com. Archived from the original on 2017-05-11. Retrieved 2021-03-06.
  29. ↑ Archived 2014-03-03 at the Wayback MachineLawrence Walters Comments on Florida Sexting Law (2012-01-26) Retrieved from Youtube on (2013-12-10)
  30. ↑ "QuickDMCA App: Making Infringement Enforcement Easier". XBIZ. Archived from the original on 2019-01-17. Retrieved 2019-01-17.
  31. ↑ "Court Fight Over Online Sex Trafficking Law to Echo in Congress". news.bloomberglaw.com. Archived from the original on 2021-03-06. Retrieved 2021-03-05.
  32. ↑ "FOSTA Is Unconstitutional, Argue Sexual Freedom Advocates and First Amendment Lawyers in New Motion". Reason.com. 3 September 2020. Archived from the original on 15 January 2021. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  33. ↑ "Bay Area Sex Workers Speak Out About Dangerous Conditions -". SF Weekly. 21 November 2019. Archived from the original on 16 May 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  34. ↑ Bustos, Sergio; Kennedy, John. "State investigators dismiss Rebekah Jones's claims of Florida fudging COVID-19 data". Tallahassee Democrat. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  35. ↑ "Data scientist Rebekah Jones files lawsuit after "sham" armed raid on her home". Newsweek. 21 December 2020. Archived from the original on 4 March 2021. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  36. ↑ Thebault, Reis. "Florida police raid house of fired data scientist who alleged state manipulated covid-19 stats". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2020-12-22. Retrieved 2021-03-05.

Further reading

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