The first person charged under California's 2010 anti-paparazzi law is asking the state supreme court to look at his case again. This law carries harsh punishments for the photographers who violate driving laws while chasing celebrities.
According to documents, Paul Raef is asking the California Supreme Court to declare the law unconstitutional since it targets only a specific class of individuals – photographers. The law was passed to address a growing rate of road incidents involving paparazzi pursuing celebrities at high speeds. If successful, the law could be overturned.
Raef was accused of reckless driving during a high-speed chase of Justin Bieber on a Los Angeles highway in 2012. Bieber, who was also stopped by the police that day for driving up to 100 mph, told the 911 operator that he was driving fast so that he could get away from the paparazzi.
Bieber was ticketed, but Raef was sentenced to six months in jail.
1 What do we learn about Paul Raef and the anti-paparazzi law from the news report?
2 What was Justin Bieber's reason for driving fast?