{"id":22742,"date":"2022-07-09T08:30:31","date_gmt":"2022-07-09T12:30:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/?p=22742"},"modified":"2022-07-09T08:30:31","modified_gmt":"2022-07-09T12:30:31","slug":"arizona-to-ban-people-filming-police-officers-within-8-feet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/2022\/07\/09\/arizona-to-ban-people-filming-police-officers-within-8-feet\/","title":{"rendered":"Arizona to ban people filming police officers within 8 feet"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A law in the US state of Arizona will ban people from filming police officers at short distances, with possible fines or jail for those who don’t comply.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Critics call the law a threat to free speech and the right to a free press.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Police are often filmed by bystanders and footage has occasionally resulted in officer misconduct being exposed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The law comes into effect on 24 September and will make it illegal to film police officers in the state within a distance of 8 feet (2.4m).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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People who ignore a verbal warning and continue filming risk a misdemeanour charge and up to 30 days in jail.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The law, however, makes exceptions for people interacting with police, or in enclosed area on private property.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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State representative John Kavanagh – who sponsored the bill – has argued it is necessary because “groups hostile to the police” sometimes “get dangerously close to potentially violent encounters”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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