A federal judge has temporarily blocked Louisiana’s controversial police buffer-zone law, which makes it a criminal offense to approach within 25 feet of an on-duty officer after being ordered to step back. The preliminary injunction, issued Friday by U.S. District Judge John deGravelles, comes in response to a lawsuit filed by six media organizations, arguing that the law violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments.
In his ruling, Judge deGravelles stated that the law is unconstitutionally vague, failing to provide clear guidelines on when and how officers can issue a retreat order. He warned that this lack of clarity opens the door for arbitrary enforcement, potentially leading to violations of constitutional rights.
“The threat of arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement is great,” deGravelles wrote, noting that journalists regularly work within 25 feet of officers and now face the risk of arrest for doing their job. He emphasized that the law has a chilling effect on newsgathering and the ability to document police activity, even though no arrests have been made under the law since it took effect in August.
The lawsuit—filed by media groups represented by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and Louisiana attorneys Scott Sternberg and Marcia Suzanne Montero—argues that the law unjustly restricts press freedoms and could suppress coverage of police misconduct.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, who is defending the law, maintains that it is a common-sense public safety measure designed to protect both police officers and the public. She dismissed concerns raised by media organizations as hypothetical, arguing that the law has yet to be enforced and does not directly target journalists.
“We think it is a reasonable time, place, and manner restriction from obstructing and interfering with working police,” Murrill said in response to the ruling. “We are trying to protect the public. This is a reasonable law.”
State attorneys had urged the court to dismiss the case, but Judge deGravelles declined, allowing the lawsuit to move forward. The preliminary injunction will remain in effect while the case is pending, with the ultimate goal of permanently blocking the law.
Louisiana is one of several states to pass police buffer-zone laws in recent years, though many have faced legal challenges. Similar laws in Arizona and Indiana have been contested on constitutional grounds. In 2022, Arizona’s law was struck down, while Indiana’s law has had mixed legal outcomes—one court ruling in favor and another against.
As the Louisiana case progresses, it will likely serve as another key legal battle over the balance between law enforcement authority, public safety, and First Amendment rights.