Malibu Closely Watches L.A. Paparazzi Law
for Possible Replication
• Support Grows for Concept of a
Minimum Personal Safety Zone
Acknowledging that many legal attempts
to curb what the City of Malibu Public Safety
Commission calls “the increasingly
intrusive actions of some paparazzi” have failed, its
members are watching what happens with City of Los Angeles
efforts to prevent aggressive behavior by
paparazzi when photographing subjects that
endangers the subjects and the general public.
Last month, the Los Angeles City
Council urged the proposal of new restrictions on
paparazzi, including requiring “a minimum
safety zone of clear space that would protect public safety of
streets, sidewalks, access points to emergency care facilities,
access to private businesses and homes, and
general orderly conduct when paparazzi converge on an
individual or location” to take photos for sale.
The local public safety panel, as well as
the city attorney’s office, has
recommended that the city “review and
track the City of Los Angeles proposed ordinance to
evaluate its effectiveness [and] whether it is upheld in
the courts before proposing a similar ordinance
for Malibu.”
Los Angeles is expected to proceed with a
motion this month that “would develop new
restrictions on paparazzi to include a minimum
personal safety zone of several feet of clear space between
paparazzi and the individuals they are photographing, including
their vehicles.”
Although there are already numerous
state laws that address “invasion of privacy”
and “reckless behavior” in this context, the
proposed law classifies nonpermitted photography as a form of
assault.
The Malibu commission will hold its next
meeting on Wednesday, April 2, at 6 p.m. at City Hall.
