No one showed in U.S. District court to defend the new law that would bar people from filming police at close range.|| Getty
By Miguel Torres || Arizona Republic
On Sept. 16, the U.S. District Court moved forward with the lawsuit against a law that would ban filming police at short distance.
No one showed in U.S. District court to defend the new law that would bar people from filming police at close range.
U.S. District Judge John Tuchi suspended the law taking effect when he ordered an injunction on Sept. 9.
As written, HB 2319 made it a misdemeanor offense to film police activity within 8 feet of it. Gov. Doug Ducey signed it into law on July 6.
Judge Tuchi sided with the media groups, including The Arizona Republic, which argued that the law violates First Amendment rights. He gave any agency wanting to defend the law a week, until Sept. 16, to come forward.
But none did.
