Governor Ron DeSantis just signed a new law in Florida giving first responders and law enforcement the right to demand people back up at least 25 feet to let them do their job. Proponents say it’s a matter of safety, but critics call it a veiled attempt to keep people from recording alleged misconduct. Civil rights proponents say that were not for video, many of their allegations of police misconduct would likely be ignored. “The motive is what we're looking at. It's what is the intent,” Pastor Clayton Cowart said, who heads the Poor Minority Justice Association in Polk County. Pastor Cowart says in recent years they’ve presented local police departments with several videos alleging police misconduct. In some cases, the images led to disciplinary action. “We have several videos where people have been assaulted and beaten. And the video becomes the voice for the people,” Cowart said. The new bill gives law enforcement the authority to issue a warning, and if a person doesn’t stay back at least 25 feet, they could be subject to a second-degree misdemeanor charge and spend up to 60 days in jail. “I certainly feel that many people will be intimidated. I believe that many people will be discouraged once this is enforced,” Cowart said. Some also question how officers will be able to accurately determine a distance of 25 feet. MORE: https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/polkcounty/florida-no-go-law-governor-ron-desantis/67-117b18f1-645b-48fd-94b5-64a90a0420c3 ►Subscribe: https://on.wtsp.com/youtube ►Website: https://www.wtsp.com/ ►Facebook: https://facebook.com/10TampaBay ►X: https://twitter.com/10TampaBay