TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Jul 24, 2025

A coalition of news organizations — including the Nashville Banner, Tennessee Lookout, The Tennessean, WSMV and WTVF — are suing the state of Tennessee over a law passed in the 2025 legislative session that makes it illegal to approach a police officer within 25 feet if the officer is engaged in official duties and has ordered the person to stop advancing. The publications claim the law is so broad it will cover “most of what law enforcement officers do in public” and will put reporters at risk of arrest for simply doing their job. They also argue that a distance of 25 feet is too far way for journalists to report on law enforcement activities. The Banner has more on the suit in its newsletter today.