Free Speech Groups Ask Appeals Court to Release Jailed Webmaster - GoFuckYourself.com

Redrob · 12-22-2005, 05:12 PM

Just in from Tom at FSC:

Lakeland, Fla -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, the Free Speech Coalition and the First Amendment Lawyers Association today asked a state appeals court to release a webmaster from Lakeland who was thrown in jail for allegedly posting obscene photographs on a Web site that is hosted in Europe.

?Sexual expression in cyberspace is protected by the First Amendment,? said Gainesville attorney Gary Edinger, who submitted the amicus brief on behalf of the three organizations. ?It?s unprecedented for government officials to use imprisonment to prevent the distribution of material over the Internet.?

In a 19-page friend-of-the-court brief filed today, the three organizations asked the Second District Court of Appeal to reverse a lower court ruling by Circuit Judge J. Dale Durrance authorizing the Polk County Sheriff?s Office to revoke Christopher Wilson?s bail and throw him back in jail simply because there was ?probable cause? to believe that pictures on Wilson?s Web site were allegedly obscene.

Wilson made headlines in recent months when U.S. military officials discovered that soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan were sending him gruesome images of war in exchange for free access to a site that allows members of the public to post and view amateur pornographic photos and videos. Wilson, who operated the site from his Lakeland home, then posted the violent war photos on the site as a way to help spark debate about U.S. politics.

On Oct. 7, he was arrested by Polk County Sheriff?s Officers on obscenity charges for posting ? not the violent war photos ? but the amateur photos submitted by other people. He was released on $151,000 bond, and then while awaiting trial, moved to Orange County, Florida, where he continued operating the site, which is hosted in the Netherlands. The State Attorney's Office then filed a motion to throw Wilson in jail for operating the site outside of Polk County ? a violation of the conditions of this release, county officials argued. A judge agreed with the county on Dec. 16 and he is currently being held without bond in the Polk County Jail.

?This is a classic example of a censorship crusade by local government bureaucrats who are relying on their own subjective definition of obscenity to arrest someone even before any court has found that this Web site is illegal,? said Howard Simon, executive director of the ACLU of Florida. "What right do Polk County officials have to decide what people who live in Berlin and London and Hong Kong and New York access in the privacy of their own homes?"

?This case is typical of how obscenity law can be misused to censor unpopular speech,? said Michelle L. Freridge, Executive Director of the Free Speech Coalition. ?We are proud to stand with the ACLU and FALA in support of Chris Wilson, and we look forward to an expeditious and positive decision by the Second District Court of Appeal in this matter.?

The American Civil Liberties Union has been involved in virtually all of the landmark First Amendment cases to reach the U.S. Supreme Court, and remains absolutely committed to the preservation of each and every individual's freedom of expression. During the 1990s, the organization fought to protect free speech in cyberspace when state and federal government attempted to impose content-based regulations on the Internet. In 2004, the ACLU successfully challenged the Child Online Protection Act, which imposed draconian criminal sanctions, with penalties of up to $50,000 per day and up to six months imprisonment, for online material acknowledged as valuable for adults but judged "harmful to minors."

The Free Speech Coalition is the trade association for the adult entertainment industry. With over 3000 members from every area of the industry, FSC lobbies on behalf of the industry in Sacramento, California and Washington, D.C., and enters into litigation when all other avenues have failed. The Wilson situation is of profound concern to the FSC because the Constitution of the United States expressly requires careful procedures before a court can say that expression exceeds constitutional protection. In this case, those procedures appear to be seriously lacking.

The lawsuit names Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd and Jerry Hill, State Attorney for the Tenth Judicial Circuit, as defendants.

Reed Lee of the Free Speech Coalition and Gainesville attorney Gary Edinger submitted the amicus brief on behalf of the three organizations.

Amnesic · 12-22-2005, 05:14 PM

Thats pretty gay censorship, I hope they will get out

Diego · 12-22-2005, 06:45 PM

Well hot damn...the cavalry has arrived.

pr0 · 12-22-2005, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diego

Well hot damn...the cavalry has arrived.

Their extremely lucky to have the ACLU behind them

JFK · 12-22-2005, 07:14 PM

GO FSC

Diego · 12-22-2005, 09:08 PM

I'm wondering if anyone who was on the fence during last weeks discussion on this has had a change of heart...seeing how this has unfolded and seeing that the ACLU, FSC and FALA have looked at this case and find it merits their attention and involvement.

Stallion · 12-22-2005, 09:13 PM

Cant wait to see how it all plays out.

sfera · 12-22-2005, 09:18 PM

hmmm thats interresting

xclusive · 12-22-2005, 09:19 PM

very interesting case

tony286 · 12-22-2005, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diego

I'm wondering if anyone who was on the fence during last weeks discussion on this has had a change of heart...seeing how this has unfolded and seeing that the ACLU, FSC and FALA have looked at this case and find it merits their attention and involvement.

my thoughts havent changed but im happy chris is getting help.

Doctor Dre · 12-22-2005, 09:30 PM

OMG OMG OMG
This is the test case this industry needed, and they picked the WORST one... Dead soldiers mixed with porn

chadglni · 12-22-2005, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diego

I'm wondering if anyone who was on the fence during last weeks discussion on this has had a change of heart...seeing how this has unfolded and seeing that the ACLU, FSC and FALA have looked at this case and find it merits their attention and involvement.

Yeah right, lol. They don't give a shit that he shouldn't be locked up all they can say is "he played with fire". Nevermind how important this case is.

FlogTheLog · 12-22-2005, 09:35 PM

have these fuckers got nothing better to do.... cant wait to see the out come on this one

Diego · 12-22-2005, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doctor Dre

OMG OMG OMG
This is the test case this industry needed, and they picked the WORST one... Dead soldiers mixed with porn

Dre...read this http://www.ojr.org/ojr/stories/050920glaser/

I know..unpleasant either way...but I'm thinking you are under a wrong impression here.

This case is surely a complicated one. At the onstart, different media orgs all putting their own spin on this. Easy for people to pick up on unsubstantial rumors and stories.

However, I believe that when the ACLU, FSC and FALA all agree that they smell a rat....there is a rat.

European Lee · 12-22-2005, 10:53 PM

I do beleive the ACLU should become involved with the first amendment issues surrounding the obscenity portion of this however, the fact remains, the guy is in jail for breaking the ters of his bail which, isnt a first amendment issue.

Regards,

Lee

chadglni · 12-22-2005, 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by European Lee

I do beleive the ACLU should become involved with the first amendment issues surrounding the obscenity portion of this however, the fact remains, the guy is in jail for breaking the ters of his bail which, isnt a first amendment issue.

Regards,

Lee

FOR THE 50 THOUSANTH FUCKING TIME YOU DUMB PIECE OF SHIT HE DIDN'T BREAK THE TERMS OF HIS BAIL.

chadglni · 12-22-2005, 10:58 PM

And LEE you ignrant piece of retarded shit, they ACLU had no intentions of getting involved unless his bail was revoked because there was no legal reason for it. Stop talking out of your gaping ass and read on a subject before you comment on it.

Dirty D · 12-23-2005, 12:19 AM

Free Chris

TreasureBucks · 12-23-2005, 01:57 AM

While your snug in your bed Christmas eve, and while your spending time with your loved ones on Christmas day.... (even if you cant stand being around them)....Dont forget that Chris Wilson is sitting in jail. And, from what i gathered from the news reports.. They are holding him illegally.

I dont know about you, but Id like to see the people who are involved with holding Chris Wilson, prosecuted.

Redrob · 12-23-2005, 07:18 AM

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Be sure to stop by the FSC Booth at both the Internext and AEE. I hope to see you all in Vegas were you can pickup information on all the latest industry issues.

bump for morning crew

adultchica · 12-23-2005, 07:48 AM

I hope he gets out for christmas! How long is it going to take them to decide whether to let him out again or not?

He shouldn't be in there in the first place

Redrob · 12-23-2005, 10:10 AM

I haven't heard yet when the appeal will be heard. If I hear anything, I'll post it.

CherryLipsRosa · 12-23-2005, 10:57 AM

Interesting, let us know if anything new comes up.

heywood · 12-23-2005, 09:14 PM

http://theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...512230361/1134

It's reassuring to see all these groups come together on this issue. No matter what side you are on here, everyone should agree a fair trial should be applied. And it has not been fair so far. Hopefully this will change things.

European Lee · 12-23-2005, 09:18 PM

The 2nd district has already refused his appeal i beleive

Merry Christmas Chris, enjoy Bubba's present this Xmas

Regards,

Lee

European Lee · 12-23-2005, 09:21 PM

http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.d...RSS&source=RSS

Not sure how up-to-date that is.

Regards,

Lee

heywood · 12-23-2005, 09:47 PM

http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.d...NEWS/512230361

This is the latest article from the ledger.

Diego · 12-23-2005, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by European Lee

The 2nd district has already refused his appeal i beleive

Merry Christmas Chris, enjoy Bubba's present this Xmas

Regards,

Lee

Lee....I don't know you. But...you're a bit of an asshole. Regards, Diego

Diego · 12-23-2005, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diego

Lee....I don't know you. But...you're a bit of an asshole. Regards, Diego

Seems many around here don't like you very much...this is my salvation. GO CHRIS! Fuck you, European Lee. thanks for youir support.

Diego · 12-23-2005, 11:00 PM

woo hoo....Lee? stop back by here, some of us have some Q's for you.

European Lee · 12-23-2005, 11:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diego

Lee....I don't know you. But...you're a bit of an asshole. Regards, Diego

Trust me, im a LOT of an asshole

Regards,

Lee

Diego · 12-23-2005, 11:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by European Lee

Trust me, im a LOT of an asshole

Regards,

Lee

Why? Why do you do this to yourself? You jumped the gun. Anyway, Lee..I don't think you are a bad guy....I think you are misunderstood.

heywood · 12-23-2005, 11:25 PM

I think he's an attention whore.

12-22-2005, 05:12 PM	#1
Redrob Confirmed User Industry Role: Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: In a refrigerator box by the tracks. Posts: 4,791	Free Speech Groups Ask Appeals Court to Release Jailed Webmaster Just in from Tom at FSC: Lakeland, Fla -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, the Free Speech Coalition and the First Amendment Lawyers Association today asked a state appeals court to release a webmaster from Lakeland who was thrown in jail for allegedly posting obscene photographs on a Web site that is hosted in Europe. ?Sexual expression in cyberspace is protected by the First Amendment,? said Gainesville attorney Gary Edinger, who submitted the amicus brief on behalf of the three organizations. ?It?s unprecedented for government officials to use imprisonment to prevent the distribution of material over the Internet.? In a 19-page friend-of-the-court brief filed today, the three organizations asked the Second District Court of Appeal to reverse a lower court ruling by Circuit Judge J. Dale Durrance authorizing the Polk County Sheriff?s Office to revoke Christopher Wilson?s bail and throw him back in jail simply because there was ?probable cause? to believe that pictures on Wilson?s Web site were allegedly obscene. Wilson made headlines in recent months when U.S. military officials discovered that soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan were sending him gruesome images of war in exchange for free access to a site that allows members of the public to post and view amateur pornographic photos and videos. Wilson, who operated the site from his Lakeland home, then posted the violent war photos on the site as a way to help spark debate about U.S. politics. On Oct. 7, he was arrested by Polk County Sheriff?s Officers on obscenity charges for posting ? not the violent war photos ? but the amateur photos submitted by other people. He was released on $151,000 bond, and then while awaiting trial, moved to Orange County, Florida, where he continued operating the site, which is hosted in the Netherlands. The State Attorney's Office then filed a motion to throw Wilson in jail for operating the site outside of Polk County ? a violation of the conditions of this release, county officials argued. A judge agreed with the county on Dec. 16 and he is currently being held without bond in the Polk County Jail. ?This is a classic example of a censorship crusade by local government bureaucrats who are relying on their own subjective definition of obscenity to arrest someone even before any court has found that this Web site is illegal,? said Howard Simon, executive director of the ACLU of Florida. "What right do Polk County officials have to decide what people who live in Berlin and London and Hong Kong and New York access in the privacy of their own homes?" ?This case is typical of how obscenity law can be misused to censor unpopular speech,? said Michelle L. Freridge, Executive Director of the Free Speech Coalition. ?We are proud to stand with the ACLU and FALA in support of Chris Wilson, and we look forward to an expeditious and positive decision by the Second District Court of Appeal in this matter.? The American Civil Liberties Union has been involved in virtually all of the landmark First Amendment cases to reach the U.S. Supreme Court, and remains absolutely committed to the preservation of each and every individual's freedom of expression. During the 1990s, the organization fought to protect free speech in cyberspace when state and federal government attempted to impose content-based regulations on the Internet. In 2004, the ACLU successfully challenged the Child Online Protection Act, which imposed draconian criminal sanctions, with penalties of up to $50,000 per day and up to six months imprisonment, for online material acknowledged as valuable for adults but judged "harmful to minors." The Free Speech Coalition is the trade association for the adult entertainment industry. With over 3000 members from every area of the industry, FSC lobbies on behalf of the industry in Sacramento, California and Washington, D.C., and enters into litigation when all other avenues have failed. The Wilson situation is of profound concern to the FSC because the Constitution of the United States expressly requires careful procedures before a court can say that expression exceeds constitutional protection. In this case, those procedures appear to be seriously lacking. The lawsuit names Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd and Jerry Hill, State Attorney for the Tenth Judicial Circuit, as defendants. Reed Lee of the Free Speech Coalition and Gainesville attorney Gary Edinger submitted the amicus brief on behalf of the three organizations.

12-22-2005, 07:14 PM	#5
JFK FUBAR the ORIGINATOR Industry Role: Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: FUBARLAND Posts: 67,374	GO FSC __________________ FUBAR Webmasters - The FUBAR Times - FUBAR Webmasters Mobile - FUBARTV.XXX For promo opps contact jfk at fubarwebmasters dot com

12-22-2005, 09:13 PM	#7
Stallion Confirmed User Industry Role: Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: FL Posts: 6,632	Cant wait to see how it all plays out. __________________ Project Manager/Program Manager/Webmaster Seeking Work [email protected] icq 856554

12-22-2005, 09:19 PM	#9
xclusive Too lazy to set a custom title Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Buffalo, NY Posts: 35,218	very interesting case __________________ I support MediumPimpin.com / Shemp's Outlawtgp.com /

12-22-2005, 10:53 PM	#15
European Lee Confirmed User Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Daytona Beach Posts: 7,133	I do beleive the ACLU should become involved with the first amendment issues surrounding the obscenity portion of this however, the fact remains, the guy is in jail for breaking the ters of his bail which, isnt a first amendment issue. Regards, Lee __________________ YOUR TRAFFIC IS SAFE WITH US - CONDOM CASH PUTTING THE GAY ADULT INDUSTRY ON YOUR PC!! AFFORDABLE 2257 COMPLIANT GAY + BI CONTENT

12-22-2005, 05:14 PM	#2
Amnesic Confirmed User Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Qc, Canada Posts: 1,305	Thats pretty gay censorship, I hope they will get out

12-22-2005, 06:45 PM	#3
Diego Confirmed User Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 250	Well hot damn...the cavalry has arrived.

12-22-2005, 09:08 PM	#6
Diego Confirmed User Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 250	I'm wondering if anyone who was on the fence during last weeks discussion on this has had a change of heart...seeing how this has unfolded and seeing that the ACLU, FSC and FALA have looked at this case and find it merits their attention and involvement.

12-22-2005, 09:18 PM	#8
sfera Confirmed User Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: ICQ: 248877409 Posts: 8,597	hmmm thats interresting

12-22-2005, 09:35 PM	#13
FlogTheLog CuriousToyBoys Little Bitch Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Australia Posts: 3,842	have these fuckers got nothing better to do.... cant wait to see the out come on this one

12-22-2005, 10:58 PM	#17
chadglni Confirmed User Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: PEI, Canada Posts: 6,924	And LEE you ignrant piece of retarded shit, they ACLU had no intentions of getting involved unless his bail was revoked because there was no legal reason for it. Stop talking out of your gaping ass and read on a subject before you comment on it.

12-23-2005, 12:19 AM	#18
Dirty D Confirmed User Join Date: May 2002 Location: Paying Webmasters Millions Since 1999 Posts: 4,044	Free Chris __________________ Dirty D - ICQ #1326843 - $1 Million Dollars of Bonus Money - 8,000+ FHG! Glory Hole Girlz - Crack Whore Confessions - Tampa Bukkake - Slut Wife Training - Fuck a Fan Electricity Play - Porn Video Drive - Theater Sluts - Skunk Riley - Ukraine Amateurs - Strapon Sessions

12-23-2005, 01:57 AM	#19
TreasureBucks Confirmed User Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 1,971	While your snug in your bed Christmas eve, and while your spending time with your loved ones on Christmas day.... (even if you cant stand being around them)....Dont forget that Chris Wilson is sitting in jail. And, from what i gathered from the news reports.. They are holding him illegally. I dont know about you, but Id like to see the people who are involved with holding Chris Wilson, prosecuted. __________________ TREASUREBUCKS.COM

12-23-2005, 07:18 AM	#20
Redrob Confirmed User Industry Role: Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: In a refrigerator box by the tracks. Posts: 4,791	HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Be sure to stop by the FSC Booth at both the Internext and AEE. I hope to see you all in Vegas were you can pickup information on all the latest industry issues. bump for morning crew

12-23-2005, 07:48 AM	#21
adultchica Confirmed User Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: usa Posts: 5,141	I hope he gets out for christmas! How long is it going to take them to decide whether to let him out again or not? He shouldn't be in there in the first place __________________

12-23-2005, 10:10 AM	#22
Redrob Confirmed User Industry Role: Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: In a refrigerator box by the tracks. Posts: 4,791	I haven't heard yet when the appeal will be heard. If I hear anything, I'll post it.

12-23-2005, 10:57 AM	#23
CherryLipsRosa Confirmed User Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Costa Rica Posts: 3,603	Interesting, let us know if anything new comes up. __________________ Rosalia M. ICQ.12150439 Skype. cherrylipsrosa

12-23-2005, 09:14 PM	#24
heywood So Fucking Banned Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Wilsonville, Oregon Posts: 468	http://theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...512230361/1134 It's reassuring to see all these groups come together on this issue. No matter what side you are on here, everyone should agree a fair trial should be applied. And it has not been fair so far. Hopefully this will change things.

12-23-2005, 09:18 PM	#25
European Lee Confirmed User Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Daytona Beach Posts: 7,133	The 2nd district has already refused his appeal i beleive Merry Christmas Chris, enjoy Bubba's present this Xmas Regards, Lee __________________ YOUR TRAFFIC IS SAFE WITH US - CONDOM CASH PUTTING THE GAY ADULT INDUSTRY ON YOUR PC!! AFFORDABLE 2257 COMPLIANT GAY + BI CONTENT

12-23-2005, 09:21 PM	#26
European Lee Confirmed User Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Daytona Beach Posts: 7,133	http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.d...RSS&source=RSS Not sure how up-to-date that is. Regards, Lee __________________ YOUR TRAFFIC IS SAFE WITH US - CONDOM CASH PUTTING THE GAY ADULT INDUSTRY ON YOUR PC!! AFFORDABLE 2257 COMPLIANT GAY + BI CONTENT

12-23-2005, 09:47 PM	#27
heywood So Fucking Banned Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Wilsonville, Oregon Posts: 468	http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.d...NEWS/512230361 This is the latest article from the ledger.

12-23-2005, 11:00 PM	#30
Diego Confirmed User Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 250	woo hoo....Lee? stop back by here, some of us have some Q's for you.

12-23-2005, 11:25 PM	#33
heywood So Fucking Banned Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Wilsonville, Oregon Posts: 468	I think he's an attention whore.