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US Appeals Court rules Indiana police cannot enforce 25-foot buffer law
MARION COUNTY, INDIANA, AUG 6 – The Seventh Circuit ruled the law vague and likely to cause arbitrary enforcement, highlighting its chilling effect on journalists’ ability to report, according to court and media coalition attorneys.
- On Aug. 5, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit ruled that Indiana’s 25-foot buffer zone law is unconstitutionally vague.
- The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, in a decision authored by Judge Doris Pryor, ruled Indiana's buffer zone law unconstitutionally vague, affecting its enforcement, despite taking effect in July 2023 as a Class C misdemeanor.
- The Seventh Circuit noted the law's vagueness could subject pedestrians to arbitrary criminal liability, highlighting its potential chilling effect on speech.
- The Seventh Circuit remanded the case for further proceedings on relief scope, with the ruling currently applying only to the lawsuit’s parties.
- Media coalitions have broader suits in other states, with the Seventh Circuit ruling Indiana’s buffer law unconstitutionally vague on Aug. 5.
18 Articles
18 Articles
Appeals court upholds block on Indiana’s 25-foot police buffer law, citing vagueness
A federal appeals court upheld a lower court’s injunction blocking Indiana’s widely debated 25-foot police buffer zone law, ruling that the statute is “unconstitutionally vague” and “susceptible to arbitrary enforcement.”
Appeals court upholds block on Indiana's 2023 police 'buffer law'
Appeals court upholds block on Indiana’s 2023 police ‘buffer law’ CHICAGO (WISH) — The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago has upheld a preliminary injunction against Indiana’s 2023 “buffer law,” which restricts people from approaching within 25 feet of a police officer engaged in official duties after being told to stop approaching. The 21-page decision issued Tuesday affirms the September ruling from an Indianapolis-based U.S. district cou…
Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Federal appeals court upholds block on Indiana’s 25-foot police buffer law
A federal appeals court upheld a lower court’s injunction blocking Indiana’s widely debated 25-foot police buffer zone law, ruling that the statute is “unconstitutionally vague” and “susceptible to arbitrary enforcement.”
7th Circuit: Indiana’s police ‘buffer zone’ law is unconstitutional
A federal appeals court on Tuesday struck down an Indiana law that makes it a crime to approach within 25 feet of a law enforcement officer after being told to stop, finding the law unconstitutionally vague. In a 21-page opinion, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit affirmed a district court’s ruling last year blocking the state from enforcing the police “buffer zone” law because it fails to specify what kinds…
Fox 59 Indianapolis
US Appeals Court rules Indiana police cannot enforce 25-foot buffer law
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 accountabl…
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