Federal judge strikes down Arizona law limiting recording of police as unconstitutional

An Arizona law limiting how close people can get to police while recording them was declared unconstitutional by a federal judge in a Friday ruling.

The law would have made it illegal to film police officers within 8 feet of law enforcement activity if the officer had requested that the citizen or journalist stop filming. In addition, officers could have ordered anyone filming on public property to stop if they determined the area was unsafe or if the person filming was interfering.

U.S. District Judge John J. Tuchi cited infringement against a clear right for citizens to film police while doing their jobs in his ruling.

“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.

Tuchi suspended the implementation of the law last year. Now, his ruling permanently blocks enforcement.

Media groups, including a group of Associated Press lawyers and the ACLU, successfully sued to block the law last year, which was passed with the backing of Republicans in the state legislature and signed into law by former GOP Gov. Doug Ducey in July 2022.

Prominent law enforcement officials in Arizona refused to defend the law after the lawsuit was filed, however, and legislators refused to defend the law. Even the bill’s sponsor, Republican state Sen. John Kavanagh, said he was unable to find an outside group to defend the legislation, according to The Associated Press.