Lawsuit Against Arizona Law Prohibiting Filming of Law Enforcement

Lawsuit Against Arizona Law Prohibiting Filming of Law Enforcement

The lawsuit seeks an injunction before the law’s September effective date. It was filed in the District Court for the district of Arizona.

In recent years, the act of filming law enforcement officials has become a way of reporting police misconduct.

The most prominent example of this type of footage is the video footage taken by bystanders during the arrest and murder of George Floyd, a black man who died after a police officer pinned his neck to the ground for nine minutes. in May 2020.

Floyd’s death sparked demonstrations against racism and police brutality in the United States and around the world.

The lawsuit argues that the Arizona law violates the right to record under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and that it would negatively affect a reporter’s ability to work on stories related to law enforcement activities due to the risk to be arrested and prosecuted.

Among the 10 media groups that have joined the lawsuit are local news stations and media companies, including NBC Universal Media, the parent of NBC News.

New York University’s First Amendment Watch states that more than 60% of the American population lives in states where federal appellate courts have recognized the First Amendment right to record police officers performing their duties. in public.

Source: Ambito

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