Florida judge rules against state's anti-riot law

A Florida judge ruled against the state’s anti-riot law on Thursday, calling it unconstitutional and an attack on the First Amendment in a win for Black Lives Matter and other groups.

In his 90-page decision, Walker called the law "vague and overbroad," saying peaceful demonstrators could face penalties or jail time under the law if they’re in the vicinity of unaffiliated rioters. "If this court does not enjoin the statute’s enforcement, the lawless actions of a few rogue individuals could effectively criminalize the protected speech of hundreds, if not thousands, of law-abiding Floridians," he wrote. "It, unfortunately, takes only a handful of bad actors to transform a peaceful protest into a violent public disturbance." The lawsuit was filed in April by Black Lives Matter Alliance Broward, the NAACP Florida Conference, Dream Defenders and other groups who claimed it was deliberately aimed at people of color.