国产诱惑福利

鈥淲hen you enact a law that prevents people from seeing for themselves whether injustice is being done, that is the biggest thing against civil rights you can ever do," said Shean Williams, an attorney with The Cochran Firm in Atlanta.

Williams said images of police attacking demonstrators during the civil rights movement were instrumental to its success in advancing racial justice.

Proponents argue the new law will create a buffer zone to help ensure the safety of officers and that bystanders would still be close enough to film police interactions. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, also a Republican, signed a similar measure into law in April, saying it would help ensure law enforcement officers in his state can 鈥渄o their jobs without the threat of harassment.鈥�

In a statement at the time, DeSantis drew a distinction with 鈥渂lue states,鈥� saying Florida would continue to be "the friendliest state in the nation towards our law enforcement community.鈥�

The Louisiana measure鈥檚 author, state Rep. Bryan Fontenot, said the legislation was drafted to provide officers 鈥減eace of mind and safe distance to do their job.鈥�

鈥淎t 25 feet, that person can鈥檛 spit in my face when I鈥檓 making an arrest,鈥� Fontenot said while presenting his bill in a committee earlier this year. 鈥淭he chances of him hitting me in the back of the head with a beer bottle at 25 feet 鈥� it sure is a lot more difficult than if he鈥檚 sitting right here.鈥�

But attorneys say states, including Florida and Louisiana, already have laws that criminalize efforts to obstruct police.

鈥淭he key in every other state is, 鈥楢re you disrupting the conduct of the officer? 鈥� " said Gerry Weber, a constitutional law expert in Atlanta who has represented numerous people in lawsuits over filming police misconduct. "One of the problems with the Louisiana law is it creates a presumption that one is interfering if they鈥檙e within 25 feet and they have been given a warning.鈥�

Weber helped reach a settlement more than a decade ago that required Atlanta police to stop interfering with people who record officers performing their duties in public.

At least one other state created a law similar to the ones in Louisiana and Florida. In 2022, Arizona made it illegal to knowingly film a police officer from 8 feet (2.5 meters) or closer if the officer told the person to stop.

U.S. District Judge John J. Tuchi in Phoenix last year of that statute, saying it 鈥減rohibits 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.鈥�

The Louisiana law does not specifically mention filming. It prohibits 鈥渒nowingly or intentionally鈥� approaching an officer who is 鈥渓awfully engaged in the execution of his official duties鈥� after being ordered to 鈥渟top approaching or retreat.鈥� Violators face up to a $500 fine, up to 60 days in jail, or both. It goes into effect on Aug. 1.

But even without an explicit reference to filming, the First Amendment concerns remain, said Susan Meyers, a senior staff attorney at the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Courts have been clear that people have a right to observe and film police doing their jobs in public, she said.

鈥淲hat are they saying? How are they conducting themselves?鈥� she said. 鈥淭here are in fact very few ways for the public to hold these public servants accountable for their actions.鈥�

Alanah Odoms, executive director of the ACLU of Louisiana, said she experienced the importance of filming police first-hand last year when she and some colleagues were pulled over by an officer who said he suspected the vehicle they were in was stolen.

The car wasn't stolen, and Odoms, who has denounced the new Louisiana law, said she believes the justification was pretextual. On a dark, deserted road, she said filming the encounter gave her comfort.

鈥淚'm probably within 8 to 10 feet of the officer and then two or three feet,鈥� she recalled. 鈥淚 would not be able to do any of that.鈥�