A new Louisiana law makes it a crime to come within 25 feet of police officers if they tell you not to approach. The law is crafted to prevent citizens from filming officers on duty and to limit legal and public accountability for misconduct, critics say—and clearly violates the First Amendment.
Bystander cellphone videos are largely credited with revealing police misconduct — such as with the 2020 killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis officers — and reshaping the conversation around police transparency. … half of the U.S. appeals courts across the nation have ruled on the side of allowing people to record police without restriction. The Louisiana measure's author, state Rep. Bryan Fontenot, said the legislation was drafted to provide officers "peace of mind and safe distance to do their job."
It's all about a hypothetical question in court—"You were standing 26 feet away. You couldn't really see what officer Chauvin was doing with his knee, could you?"—and making sure that footage is never played in it.
Conservatives say it's to protect cops: "At 25 feet, that person can't spit in my face when I'm making an arrest," said state Rep. Bryan Fontenot," who presumably encountered the saliva-spitting world record holder in his time on the streets and has been doing the math ever since.
