Judge Finds Ariz. Law that Put Limits on Filming Police Unconstitutional

An Arizona law that would have set limits on how close people could get to record members of law enforcement was ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge last week.

U.S. District Judge John J. Tuchi ruled Friday that the law infringed on a citizen's right to record police in action, The Associated Press reports. Gov. Doug Ducey had signed the law last July, but Tuchi had previously suspended the law before Friday's ruling.

Under the law, a person needed to be at least 8 feet away to record a law enforcement officer who told the cameraperson to stop filming. Police officers also would have had the authority to stop a person from recording on private property, even if the owner allowed it.

“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,” Tuchi wrote in his ruling.

The ACLU and a collection of media outlets filed lawsuits to stop the law, and the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office was one of the law enforcement agencies that wouldn't defend the legislation.

After the bill was signed into a law last year, supporters were hard pressed to find individuals or groups willing to back the law after it had been suspended.