Florida Republican Wants to Make It Illegal to Approach Police Officers

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

Florida Republican Wants to Make It Illegal to Approach Police Officers

A bill introduced in Florida would make it a crime to approach or harass first responders following an initial warning to back away.

Senate Bill 1126, which is sponsored by Republican state Senator Bryan Avila, aims to crack down on people "impeding, provoking, or harassing" police officers, firefighters or medical workers on duty.


The bill would make it unlawful for any person, after receiving a warning, not to further approach, violate such warning, or remain within 30 feet of a first responder who is engaging in their legal or emergency duty.

It would be illegal to "interrupt, disrupt, hinder, impede, or interfere" with the first responder's ability to perform their duty, provoke a physical response from the first responder, or directly or indirectly harass the first responder.

The bill would also make it unlawful to "make so much noise that a first responder is prevented from performing their official duties or providing medical aid."

Any person found violating the law would be charged with a first-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. If passed into law, Senate Bill 1126 would come into effect on October 1.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/florida-republican-wants-to-make-it-illegal-to-approach-police-officers/ar-AA186pdb

[TheBlackAdder]

7. That will be the first thing every cop will shout out during any stop, just to set the framework.

[RockRaven]

2. Sounds like smartphone video apps need some range-finding function built in ASAP...

That's what this is really about, right? Cops (and their fascist overlords) don't want people documenting their malfeasance. Well, let's see some improved tools in the hands of the masses to (partially) counteract this then.

[walkingman]

3. What's next "Brownshirts"? It's moving more and more in that direction.

[SoCalDavidS]

4. Never Want To Visit That Shithole State nt

[DFW]

5. First court test will be:

When some cops are filmed beating some unarmed guy to death, is this « their duty? » I want to hear the Roberts, er, make that Alito, Court sign off on that one.

[Takket]

6. Isn't impeding an officer already illegal?

We know what this is really about. Making sure if someone tries to intervene in Black man’s murder that they can throw that intervener in jail too.

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

8. adding subjective measures such as "make so much noise.." would give cops free reign to

arrest any protestor or anyone who mouths off around/to them.

[Hortensis]

9. This is of course already mostly or entirely illegal. But RECORDING the police is LEGAL

under the First Amendment. He can't touch that.

Sounds like this jerk (and his record is dreadful) is mostly just feeding the animals as usual, and some'll reward by feeding the animal back a donation.

I'm not an attorney and would love some expert input on the likely effect of such a bill. The most common definitions are typically far less defined, actually pretty wide open to interpretation, something like

"The crime of obstructing a law enforcement officer is typically defined as when the individual willfully hinders, delays, or obstructs any law enforcement officer in the discharge of their official powers or duties."

Seems to me defining distances, noise that interferes, etc, might make it EASIER for defendants who are unjustly charged to defend themselves. Especially those with recordings of their own actions showing they don't actually impede the actions of the police as defined by this law.

Anything that is not effectively already illegal under typical current laws?