INDIANAPOLIS — A United States Court of Appeals ruled that Indiana cannot enforce its 25-foot buffer law, which granted police officers the authority to order individuals to stay 25 feet away while they perform official duties or face a potential arrest and misdemeanor charge.

The buffer law has faced several legal challenges since being passed into law in July 2023. The ACLU of Indiana argued the law prevents officers from being held accountable while stripping citizens of their right to "observe and record the police."

A coalition of media organizations and news outlets challenged the buffer law, arguing that it caused irreparable harm to newsgathering activities. In a lawsuit brought forth by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, the media organizations argued that the law

See Full Page