BATON ROUGE - A federal judge on Wednesday heard arguments over a recently implemented law that would make it a crime to be within a 25 feet of a working police officer after being instructed to move away.The arguments centered on whether the law is constitutional and specific enough to be enforced. The law went into effect in August.It immediately faced backlash, and on Wednesday attorneys laid out their cases. The state argued it was too soon for the suit because no one had been arrested for violating the law. The plaintiffs countered that laws already exist to stop citizens from interfering with investigations or obstructing police work.Grayson Clary is a staff attorney at the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, and he says the law affects the journalists he represents.“This law poses a danger to their ability to document what law enforcement does in public,” Clary said.While the lawsuit focuses on journalists’ freedoms, the law applies to everyone. Arguments on Wednesday were similar to what lawmakers said during the summer. At the time, some suggested people have the right to look at police officers who are public officials in the performance of their duties.Even then, lawmakers noted potential problems with the arbitrary distance limit.Judge John deGravelles echoes that sentiment in court, quizzing attorneys about whether the law could be enforced effectively.Permalink| Comments