By Carl Fish | Daily Ridge News
LAKELAND, Fla. — After receiving multiple citizen complaints, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier reviewed a recent (May 17) free speech confrontation involving conservative commentator Kaitlin Bennett at the Lakeland Downtown Farmers Market and issued a sharply worded letter to Lakeland Downtown Development Authority Executive Director Julie Townsend, concluding that her actions may have violated constitutional protections.
The incident, which was captured on video, shows Townsend confronting Bennett as she conducted political interviews on a public sidewalk. Townsend is heard stating, “I’m just going to disrupt you,” before law enforcement, acting under her direction, issued Bennett a trespass warning.
Uthmeier argues that Townsend’s actions violate both the First Amendment and Article I, Section 4 of the Florida Constitution, which protect free political and religious expression in public forums such as streets and sidewalks.
He cited key U.S. Supreme Court decisions including United States v. Grace, Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, and Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association, which establish that the government cannot suppress speech based on its content or viewpoint. In the letter, Uthmeier described public sidewalks as spaces “historically preserved for expressive activity” and warned that government officials who interfere with such activity may be opening themselves and their agencies up to legal liability.
Florida’s constitution reinforces these protections. Article I, Section 4 states, “Every person may speak, write and publish sentiments on all subjects… No law shall be passed to restrain or abridge the liberty of speech or of the press.” While limited time, place, and manner restrictions may apply, courts have consistently ruled that content-based restrictions are presumed unconstitutional.
Uthmeier also took issue with a follow-up statement from Townsend, in which she wrote that the market strives to remain “free of politics and religion.” He characterized that position as a form of unlawful viewpoint discrimination, emphasizing that discomfort with a message is not grounds for suppression.
“You have no authority to constitutionally stifle these freedoms, secured by the highest law of the land, simply because you don’t like it,” the letter stated.
The Lakeland Downtown Farmers Market has been a central gathering point for families, shoppers, and vendors in the community for years. Townsend has previously explained that her goal was to maintain a family-friendly environment, not to suppress speech. But Uthmeier’s letter makes clear that public space protections override concerns about the tone or content of lawful expression.
This is not the first time Townsend has faced criticism over constitutional concerns. In 2024, she oversaw the installation of downtown security cameras that included facial recognition technology capable of identifying individuals from a database in real time. The move prompted strong backlash from civil liberties advocates, including the ACLU and ACLU of Florida, who warned the technology posed a serious threat to privacy rights. Following that pressure, the facial recognition features were ultimately disabled.
At this time, there is no indication that the Attorney General plans to pursue legal action. His office does not have direct disciplinary authority over local officials such as Townsend, nor can it enforce policy changes at the municipal level without additional steps. However, if similar incidents continue, the Attorney General could seek legal remedies through the courts or support civil litigation on behalf of affected parties.
Editors Note: As a news journalist I take free speech issues seriously. I believe strongly that free speech should be protected. It doesn’t matter if you agree or disagree with the speech. If you’re not breaking the law, you should be allowed to exercise it. Our country is founded on that premise in the first amendment. – Carl
Here is that confrontation
