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. He received his JD from Florida State University with honors.
Legal career Walters is an expert in adult entertainment and obscenity law who represents clients in the live webcam industry. He also specializes in online gaming and sports betting law. 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. He has defended website operators in high-profile obscenity cases. In 1999, Walters defended Tammy Robinson in the first obscenity case based on website content. 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.
In 2007, Walters defended Karen Fletcher, who was charged with obscenity based on written stories published on her website in a case tested the boundaries of obscenity law. In 2008, he was appointed President of the First Amendment Lawyers Association. Walters also defended Clinton McCowen, where he introduced Google Trends evidence showing that online users were more interested in sexually explicit topics than in generic terms like "apple pie" or "watermelon." The case was settled shortly after Walters issues a subpoena to Google for supporting evidence.
Walters is also known as an advocate for the free speech rights of protesters, street performers, and topless dancers. For example, in 2006 he won an appellate court victory upholding the First Amendment right of a topless protester in Daytona Beach, Florida. Walters has also worked with the online gambling industry, representing GoldenPalace.com against the Commonwealth of Kentucky in the state's efforts to seize the domain based on alleged gambling violations. He has also represented internet cafes in constitutional challengesSuit seeks halt to Hillsborough crackdown on Internet sweepstakes cafes (2011-12-11) Retrieved from http://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/civil/suit-seeks-halt-to-hillsborough-crackdown-on-internet-sweepstakes-cafes/1207175 on (2014-01-03) to local ordinances banning the use of simulated gambling devices.Internet cafés still running in Seminole despite ruling supporting ban (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 on (2014-01-03)
In 2009, Walters began representing teens accused of sex offenses based on sexting behavior 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 on (2014-01-03) '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 on (2013-12-10) and advocating changes in states' laws relating to teen sexting. Lawrence Walters Comments on Florida Sexting Law (2012-01-26) Retrieved from Youtube on (2013-12-10) Walters has also developed apps used by content producers to comply with federal age verification laws and enforce copyrights.
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. The plaintiffs argue that the law violates the First Amendment and puts sex workers at risk.
References
External links Walters Law Group
Further reading Walters, Lawrence G. "Anatomy of an Obscenity Prosecution: The Tammy Robinson Case Study" The Associated Press. “Couple fights community standards in online porn case,” (Sept. 5, 2000). Boyer, Q. “Defense Files New Petition in Ray Guhn Case.” XBIZ.com. (Nov. 21, 2007) Kushner, David. “Casualty of Porn.” Rolling Stone. (Dec. 12, 2005). Lewis, Neil A. “A Prosecution Tests the Definition of Obscenity.” NYTimes.com. (Sept. 28, 2007). Willhoit, Dana. “War, Porn Web Site Creator Arrested.” TheLedger.com. (Oct. 8, 2005).