RCFP secures ruling blocking Indiana's police 'buffer zone' law
A federal district court in Indiana has blocked the state from enforcing a law that makes it a crime to approach within 25 feet of a law enforcement officer after being told to stop, finding the law unconstitutionally vague.
In an opinion issued on Sept. 27, the court sided with arguments made by attorneys from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press in a lawsuit filed last year on behalf of a coalition of journalism and news organizations. The court concluded that the police “buffer zone” law violates the Fourteenth Amendment because it fails to specify what kinds of behavior by a journalist or other member of the public might prompt an officer to issue an order to stay back.
“This ruling is a huge win for press freedom,” said Katie Townsend, the Reporters Committee’s deputy executive director and legal director. “Police buffer zone laws like the one in Indiana are clearly unconstitutional, and we are glad that the district court has agreed to block its enforcement. The government cannot be permitted to criminalize newsgathering and prevent journalists from informing the public.”
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