‘Unprecedented’: Federal court blocks Nassau County protest buffer zone bill over free speech concerns in legislation’s first judicial test

A federal court blocked Nassau County’s buffer zone bill, which prohibited protests within 100 feet of houses of worship, citing First Amendment concerns. The court’s preliminary ruling, issued by U.S. District Judge Sanket Bulsara, emphasized the law’s overly broad restrictions on free speech and its potential to block protest on public streets, while Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman criticized the decision and vowed to continue defending the law.