TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Feb 18, 2026

U.S. District Judge William L. Campbell decided not to grant a preliminary injunction to a lawsuit challenging a Tennessee law that allows police to arrest people who approach within 25 feet after a direct order to stop. According to the Nashville Banner newsletter, Campbell ruled that the plaintiffs — a coalition of media organizations that includes the Banner — did not demonstrate immediate and irreparable harm. Campbell said the plaintiffs could not point to a specific case of the law hindering Tennessee media in covering the news since it went into effect in July 2025. The state said the law applies in three scenarios: a traffic stop, an active investigation and an “ongoing and immediate” public safety concern. The plaintiffs have expressed concern about the “unbridled discretion” the statute could offer police. Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) has instructed officers not to enforce the law while the litigation is pending. The lawsuit will continue, and Campbell said he would welcome a further motion or conversations between the parties if MNPD’s policy changes.