Judge Tosses Anti-Paparazzi Charges Against Photographer

I really hope this is the only time I ever have to mention Justin Bieber on my site … a California judge has dismissed charges against photographer Paul Raef after he was charged under an anti-paparazzi law that raised the penalty for reckless driving when involved in the pursuit of a photo for commercial gain.

California has a history of passing these laws and then having them overturned, hopefully this one is headed in the same direction. Note that I will never support members of the media breaking the law, but to pass laws specifically designed to target journalistic acts protected by the First Amendment is not okay. (And, yeah, I would question weather a photo of a pop star should really be protected at the same level as an investigation of a public official, but it is and I do not want the country getting into massive debates over splitting hairs.)