An Arizona based federal judge just came across with a ruling which clearly favors freedom of speech. The state tried to make it illegal to “film police officers within 8 feet of law enforcement activity.” Not only is it wrong and unconstitutional, it isn’t even necessary. There are other laws already on the books to prevent interference with law enforcement.
Judge sides with freedom
On Friday, July 21, U.S. District Judge John J. Tuchi declared a controversial new Arizona law unconstitutional. The statute attempted to criminalize the filming of police in action.
First, it prohibited recording “police officers within 8 feet of law enforcement activity if the officer had requested the citizen or journalist to stop filming.”
It also gave officers the discretion of ordering “anyone filming on public property to stop if they determined the area was unsafe or if the person filming was interfering.”
Phoenix-A federal judge ruled on Friday that Arizona’s law limiting how close people can get to recording law enforcement is unconstitutional. In his three-page ruling, John J. Tuchi said the law violated the First Amendment and “there is a clearly… https://t.co/XW58V6yVXJ
— Erin Reed 🌸✌️ (@DisfunkGlee) July 22, 2023
The judge didn’t waste much time throwing it out. Tuchi ruled that citizens have a clear right to film police doing their duties.
“The law prohibits or chills a substantial amount of First Amendment protected activity and is unnecessary to prevent interference with police officers given other Arizona laws in effect,” Judge Tuchi writes.
If anyone, with or without a camera, gets in the way, they can be arrested. What they are charged with depends on what they did to get in the way and how much it interfered with police.
Most police are honest
Officers, at least the honest vast majority, shouldn’t mind being filmed. The judge fully understands that citizens have a right to see if they get what they’re paying for.
It’s better to leave the activists alone and ignore them while following the book. That can only provide more evidence of solid police work.
As soon as the law was passed last year, activist groups took it to court and had it blocked. This latest ruling by Judge Tuchi makes his temporary block official and permanent. As it should be.
Federal Judge Strikes Down Law That Limits Recording of Police in Arizona
Awesome!
"U.S. District Judge John J. Tuchi wrote that the law “prohibits or chills a substantial amount of First Amendment protected activity and is unnecessary to prevent interference with police… pic.twitter.com/PMhqlYis1Q
— judy morris (@judymorris3) July 23, 2023
When the ruling was announced, all the activist and media groups, “including a group of Associated Press lawyers and the ACLU,” were jumping for joy. They’ve been battling it in court since double crossing Doug Ducey signed it into law. The Democrat in disguise isn’t around anymore but this time Arizona got stuck with a Governor who’s totally out of the closet.
Nobody in law enforcement would actually get behind the insane law to defend it. Even the legislators who sponsored the bill wouldn’t go out on a limb to fight for it.
With that much raging apathy, it had to be a terrible idea and Judge Tuchi declared that official. Nobody is expected to appeal his ruling.
