State lawmakers passed a law that has since taken effect that allows police officers to tell people, including journalists, to step back from a crime scene if they feel they are getting too close. Kurt Darling with Network Indiana reports…
State lawmakers passed a law that has since taken effect that allows police officers to tell people, including journalists, to step back from a crime scene if they feel they are getting too close.
The law states that officers can now tell people standing close to a crime scene to step back 25 feet or risk jail time and a criminal record if they do not comply.
We saw the law’s effects for the first time on video recently when a citizen journalist was sternly told by police officers to move back from a crime scene in South Bend. The officer is seen saying “New law! Step back! New law!”.
The ACLU of Indiana has filed a lawsuit trying to add clarification to the law.
“Law enforcement has a difficult job and in no way do we want to make it more difficult,” said Ken Falk, legal director of the ACLU of Indiana. “But if you’re going to have a law that requires people to push back, there has to be a reason.”
Falk believes that the law, as written, could violate certain aspects of the first amendment, namely the freedom of the press. It’s because the law doesn’t give parameters of when police can reasonably ask someone to step away from a crime scene.
“The law is completely uncertain as to what the 25-feet barrier means. Obviously, they could have a situation of 10 different police officers pushing you back 250 feet,” Falk said.
The law’s author, State Rep. Wendy McNamara, said she wrote it in order to crack down on bystander interference as police officers investigate a crime scene. But, Falk said the law as written could also be used to prevent people from filming the actions of police officers.
