Governor Doug Ducey of Arizona has signed a new law into effect that will prohibit recording videos within eight feet of police activity.
The law bans people, including journalists, from recording within eight feet of a place someone should “reasonably know” police activity is ongoing, or if an officer verbally warns them. The exceptions to this rule are for subjects of police contact and people on private property.
Violating this law can lead to a fine of up to $500 and a punishment of 30 days in jail.
Arizona State Representative John Kavanagh said that the bill was implemented for safety purposes. “I can think of no reason why any responsible person would need to come closer than eight feet to a police officer engaged in a hostile or potentially hostile encounter,” he said. “Such an approach is unreasonable, unnecessary and unsafe, and should be made illegal.”
The law has garnered criticism from organizations and civil rights groups, who claim that it will limit transparency of police actions and open the door to more abuse. Many find this topic to be especially relevant in light of the many recordings made of police murdering Black people in recent years.
According to University of Denver law professor Alan Chen, the law and the way it would be enforced are questionable. What should people do if a police officer moves closer than eight feet towards the person recording?
“It might deter them from actually recording or might make them back up even further than the eight feet that the law requires,” Mr. Chen said. “There’s certainly some First Amendment concerns here.” He thinks that over its next few terms, the Supreme Court will likely hear a case regarding this subject. “It is certainly going in the trend of courts recognizing it as an important tool for holding police accountable for misconduct.”
Over 20 media organizations have signed a letter created by the National Press Photographers Association that says the law is “unworkable” for journalists.
The law bans people, including journalists, from recording within eight feet of a place someone should “reasonably know” police activity is ongoing, or if an officer verbally warns them. The exceptions to this rule are for subjects of police contact and people on private property.
Violating this law can lead to a fine of up to $500 and a punishment of 30 days in jail.
Arizona State Representative John Kavanagh said that the bill was implemented for safety purposes. “I can think of no reason why any responsible person would need to come closer than eight feet to a police officer engaged in a hostile or potentially hostile encounter,” he said. “Such an approach is unreasonable, unnecessary and unsafe, and should be made illegal.”
The law has garnered criticism from organizations and civil rights groups, who claim that it will limit transparency of police actions and open the door to more abuse. Many find this topic to be especially relevant in light of the many recordings made of police murdering Black people in recent years.
According to University of Denver law professor Alan Chen, the law and the way it would be enforced are questionable. What should people do if a police officer moves closer than eight feet towards the person recording?
“It might deter them from actually recording or might make them back up even further than the eight feet that the law requires,” Mr. Chen said. “There’s certainly some First Amendment concerns here.” He thinks that over its next few terms, the Supreme Court will likely hear a case regarding this subject. “It is certainly going in the trend of courts recognizing it as an important tool for holding police accountable for misconduct.”
Over 20 media organizations have signed a letter created by the National Press Photographers Association that says the law is “unworkable” for journalists.
