Federal judge reviews controversial law limiting distance from police in Louisiana
- A federal judge evaluated a lawsuit from media groups against a new law in Louisiana.
- The law makes it illegal to approach a working police officer within 25 feet after being ordered to step back.
- Critics fear the law could infringe on the press's ability to cover police activity and gather news.
In August 2024, Louisiana enacted a controversial law establishing a 25-foot buffer zone around working police officers, making it a crime for individuals to approach closer than that distance after being ordered to back away. The law's introduction was met with immediate criticism from various media organizations, which filed a lawsuit in federal court in Baton Rouge seeking a preliminary injunction against its enforcement. They argued that the law infringes upon journalists' First and Fourteenth Amendment rights, thereby limiting their ability to observe and report on police interactions. During the recent court session, Judge John deGravelles examined the claims from both sides, questioning the law's vague criteria for enforcement, which allows officers to demand that individuals step back without the need for provocation or any reasonable suspicion of wrongdoing. Supporters of the legislation defend it as a necessary measure for officer safety, asserting that it limits aggressive behavior toward law enforcement while allowing bystanders to film encounters from a safe distance. Nonetheless, opponents highlight that existing laws already address obstructive behavior toward police, thus questioning the necessity of this new measure and its potential for abuse in suppressing press freedom. The case remains unresolved as the judge has not yet issued a ruling, and the tension surrounding the implications of this law continues to grow.