BATON ROUGE — Louisiana's attorney general and the state prosecutor for East Baton Rouge Parish have told a federal judge they would appeal his decision barring enforcement of a buffer zone around police officers who are carrying out their duties.

In a brief notice Monday, the defendants said they wanted the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans to review the January decision by Judge John W. deGravelles. The judge had said the 2024 law was "unconstitutionally void" because it was so vague.

deGravelles said it was likely that media groups that challenged the law could adequately demonstrate that it took away their rights to gather news under the Constitution. Attorney General Liz Murrill, State Police Col. Robert Hodges and District Attorney Hillar Moore III said the challenge was premature.

The judge said the law put reporters in the position of either gathering news or risking arrest by being within 25 feet of a cop. He also said it wasn't clear whether reporters had to be warned first that they were too close.

Monday's filing only told deGravelles that the state would appeal. It did not include its arguments.