474
submitted 1 month ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world

Critics of a new Louisiana law, which makes it a crime to approach within 25 feet (7.6 meters) of a police officer under certain circumstances, fear that the measure could hinder the public’s ability to film officers — a tool that has increasingly been used to hold police accountable.

Under the law, anyone who is convicted of “knowingly or intentionally” approaching an officer, who is “lawfully engaged in the execution of his official duties,” and after being ordered to “stop approaching or retreat” faces up to a $500 fine, up to 60 days in jail or both. The law was signed by Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican, Tuesday and goes into effect Aug. 1. 

While the legislation’s language does not specifically mention filming, critics say that by default it would limit how close a person can be to observe police. Opponents have also gone further to question the law’s constitutionality, saying it could impede on a person’s First Amendment rights.

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[-] twistypencil@lemmy.world 202 points 1 month ago

These states are basically fascist testing grounds at this point

[-] worldwidewave@lemmy.world 111 points 1 month ago

Whenever I see dumb laws like this being passed, I think about all the problems they aren’t fixing. Louisiana is damn-near last place on all of the quality of life indexes. It’s sad that they keep electing politicians who refuse to better their quality of life.

[-] RippleEffect@lemm.ee 35 points 1 month ago

It doesn't help that it was a shitty election cycle. People didn't vote and are in shock that the republican won where turnout was 36% of registered voters because people assumed the jungle primary would cause a dem and repub to move forward when in fact, of that 36%, Landry won outright with 51%.

Im not saying he wouldn't have won anyways, but it would have been much closer if people would actually vote.

load more comments (2 replies)
[-] Desistance@lemmy.world 13 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

They're not electing anyone. 83% of the population didn't vote in the recent Governor election.

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] Madison420@lemmy.world 7 points 1 month ago

That's the idea, they want a rule that allows exclusion of journalists so their shittness is less public.

[-] MiltownClowns@lemmy.world 17 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Literally. They write laws meant to be test cases before the supreme court to usher in fascism via minority rule.

[-] BigMacHole@lemm.ee 104 points 1 month ago

Not being able to approach Police Officers because they legally can then THROW YOU IN JAIL is called FREEDOM!

[-] GeekFTW@lemmy.zip 42 points 1 month ago
[-] Zorsith@lemmy.blahaj.zone 47 points 1 month ago
[-] Nelots@lemm.ee 9 points 1 month ago

I remember learning about this a few months ago. It's wild. Actual bald eagles sound so friendly in comparison.

[-] Zorsith@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 points 1 month ago

Apparently bald eagles really aren't that different from seagulls, or so I've heard.

[-] scops@reddthat.com 82 points 1 month ago

I can't wait for someone to try to justify fleeing the police with this law. "Officer, you were executing your official duties. I was trying to obey the law by staying 25 feet from you but you kept pursuing me!"

Guess I'll cross New Orleans off my list of possible vacation destinations. Not a big fan of voluntarily entering police states.

[-] Kecessa@sh.itjust.works 31 points 1 month ago

Guess I'll cross New Orleans off my list of possible vacation destinations.

It's funny because, as a person from outside the USA, I know a lot of people who have decided to do that with the USA as a whole!

[-] zaph@sh.itjust.works 23 points 1 month ago

Must be nice knowing a lot of smart people.

[-] Kecessa@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 month ago

No need to be smart, just need to have principles

load more comments (3 replies)
[-] ironhydroxide@sh.itjust.works 55 points 1 month ago

This is just the result of the general populous allowing the legislators to pass whatever laws they wish, instead of laws to benefit constituents.

We need more outrage and change when these things happen. At least enough to make people remember what's happened when it's time to vote.

[-] _haha_oh_wow_@sh.itjust.works 37 points 1 month ago

The cost of a functioning republic is vigilance: If people stop participating, things get worse.

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] bolexforsoup@lemmy.blahaj.zone 8 points 1 month ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

spoilerasdfasfasfasfas

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] unmagical@lemmy.ml 36 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Given that the courts already shutdown Arizona's attempt last year to keep people 8 feet away from a cop, I'm not sure arguing for 3 times the distance is going to stand.

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] Gumbyyy@lemmy.world 31 points 1 month ago

Police are suddenly going to become really bad at estimating just how far away 25 feet is.

[-] Maggoty@lemmy.world 32 points 1 month ago

Nah. They just walk keep walking towards you. This law legalizes a behavior they already display called "bulldogging". They walk towards you attempting to intimidate you into walking away. If you can't be intimidated then they escalate until you are arrested for resisting arrest. This is just more smoke cover for cops to act like an occupying force.

[-] ryathal@sh.itjust.works 31 points 1 month ago

Louisiana is going to waste a lot of money defending this law. The Supreme Court has been very consistent on filming cops is allowed. Also 25 feet is huge, that effectively closes sidewalks if a car is pulled over, and any two lane roads. The selective enforcement options are endless.

[-] nova_ad_vitum@lemmy.ca 19 points 1 month ago

A bunch of people will get screwed while this winds its way through the courts though.

[-] zaph@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 month ago

Can't even be in a courtroom since the bailiff is a cop performing police duties.

[-] ryathal@sh.itjust.works 6 points 1 month ago

I didn't even think of that. You could probably fine a bunch of prisoners as well.

[-] Facebones@reddthat.com 6 points 1 month ago

Which, as always, is the point. Keep everybody in a constant state of law breaking so you can always shake anyone down to make a point.

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] Fades@lemmy.world 27 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Conservatives: acab? Who are you gonna call when you need help? A crackhead?

cops: it is illegal for you to approach me if I feel like it

crackhead: i'll do anything for you for 50 bucks

[-] bradorsomething@ttrpg.network 16 points 1 month ago

I love the knowledge that if someone is breaking into my house, the cops will show up later to tell me nothing will be recovered and to hand me a piece of paper.

[-] Asafum@feddit.nl 11 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

My friends sister lives in an area where you're never more than a minute away from a cop sitting somewhere looking to ~~collect taxes~~ give a ticket. She literally watched someone pull out of her driveway in her car and immediately called the cops. The car couldn't have been more than 1 block away and they said "sorry can't help you, call your insurance."

I drove to target and saw 6 cop cars and probably a dozen cops all holding on or standing near a guy with a bag who stole something...

They're fucking useless pet executioners, tax collectors, and defenders of obscene wealth.

load more comments (2 replies)
[-] Stern@lemmy.world 6 points 1 month ago

At least they'll shoot your dog for free... whether you wanted them to or not.

load more comments (2 replies)
[-] KnowledgeableNip@leminal.space 9 points 1 month ago

also cops: sometimes we will just come into your house and kill you even if you're the victim, oopsie doopsie

[-] Rentlar@lemmy.ca 27 points 1 month ago

If this is allowed to stand, Americans' first amendment rights end at 25 ft away from a police officer, in Louisiana.

[-] Zorsith@lemmy.blahaj.zone 16 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

And if they walk towards you while saying "back away", suddenly you're fleeing a scene if you actually back away

[-] acetanilide@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago

They saw all these cases against officers and decided they better make a new law to justify using lethal force

[-] bradorsomething@ttrpg.network 21 points 1 month ago

Police is such a poor term, why not Citizen Control Forces.

load more comments (5 replies)
[-] HawlSera@lemm.ee 18 points 1 month ago

How the fuck do I ask a cop for help? I mean.... Not that I ever would, I mean if I call a crackhead to help me, they're not gonna shoot my dog..

[-] nondescripthandle@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 points 1 month ago

More fascist every day, coming soon to a state near you, and no ones coming to help. "States Rights" after all . . .

[-] disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world 10 points 1 month ago

To ~~serve and protect~~ discriminate and oppress

[-] HubertManne@kbin.social 9 points 1 month ago

do these guys know about lenses?

[-] psvrh@lemmy.ca 29 points 1 month ago

They shoot people who point things at them. They'll simply say they "feared for their life” when someone tries to take a picture of them at a distance.

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (8 replies)
[-] verdantbanana@lemmy.world 6 points 1 month ago

so it was the citizens who are being put in their place by militarized police, voting restrictions, lead in the water pipes, the underfunded and gutted education system, low minimum wage both state and federal, the pollution, healthcare access restrictions, etcetera that caused bad politicians to gain and hold power not anything else?

[-] werefreeatlast@lemmy.world 6 points 1 month ago

So as your car comes to a stop, check the car behind you or in front or the side. If it's a cop, you're fucked. They can just shoot you if you look at them with RBF resting bitch face.

[-] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 6 points 1 month ago

fear that the measure could hinder the public’s ability to film officers — a tool that has increasingly been used to hold police accountable.

Yeah, that's the point. Why else would they enact a law like this?

load more comments
view more: next ›
this post was submitted on 30 May 2024
474 points (99.0% liked)

News

21850 readers
4617 users here now

Welcome to the News community!

Rules:

1. Be civil


Attack the argument, not the person. No racism/sexism/bigotry. Good faith argumentation only. This includes accusing another user of being a bot or paid actor. Trolling is uncivil and is grounds for removal and/or a community ban.


2. All posts should contain a source (url) that is as reliable and unbiased as possible and must only contain one link.


Obvious right or left wing sources will be removed at the mods discretion. We have an actively updated blocklist, which you can see here: https://lemmy.world/post/2246130 if you feel like any website is missing, contact the mods. Supporting links can be added in comments or posted seperately but not to the post body.


3. No bots, spam or self-promotion.


Only approved bots, which follow the guidelines for bots set by the instance, are allowed.


4. Post titles should be the same as the article used as source.


Posts which titles don’t match the source won’t be removed, but the autoMod will notify you, and if your title misrepresents the original article, the post will be deleted. If the site changed their headline, the bot might still contact you, just ignore it, we won’t delete your post.


5. Only recent news is allowed.


Posts must be news from the most recent 30 days.


6. All posts must be news articles.


No opinion pieces, Listicles, editorials or celebrity gossip is allowed. All posts will be judged on a case-by-case basis.


7. No duplicate posts.


If a source you used was already posted by someone else, the autoMod will leave a message. Please remove your post if the autoMod is correct. If the post that matches your post is very old, we refer you to rule 5.


8. Misinformation is prohibited.


Misinformation / propaganda is strictly prohibited. Any comment or post containing or linking to misinformation will be removed. If you feel that your post has been removed in error, credible sources must be provided.


9. No link shorteners.


The auto mod will contact you if a link shortener is detected, please delete your post if they are right.


10. Don't copy entire article in your post body


For copyright reasons, you are not allowed to copy an entire article into your post body. This is an instance wide rule, that is strictly enforced in this community.

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS