By Randy Krehbiel

Tulsa World

OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahomans will have to give law officers and other first responders a wider berth as the result of a law that became effective last week.

House Bill 1597, by Rep. John George, R- Newalla, creates a new misdemeanor for bystanders who fail to back off at least 25 feet when ordered to do so by a first responder performing their duty.

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The penalty is a fine of up to $500 and one year in jail.

The law is similar to “halo” or “buffer” laws passed by several states in the past few years. In August, a federal appeals court ruled Indiana’s to be impermissibly vague. Courts stopped implementation in Louisiana and Arizona, and a lawsuit against Tennessee’s halo law is pending.

La

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