Appeals court decision re-instates controversial Texas drone lawBy DRONELIFE Feature Editor Jim MagillIn a blow to the rights of Texas journalists to use drones in their reporting, a federal appeals court panel has reversed a lower court ruling that had found the state’s restrictive drone law unconstitutional. The appeals court ruling reinstates the controversial law, but leaves the door open for journalists to challenge the application of the law on a narrow case-by-case basis. In its ruling, the appeals court panel remanded the case to the lower court with instructions to enter judgment on the plaintiffs’ constitutional claims in the defendants’ favor. The appeals court decision rebuffed the plaintiffs’ challenge to two main provisions of the drone law: The Surveillance provision and the so-called “No-Fly” provision. However, the appeals court panel found that argument unconvincing.

Source: Forbes October 25, 2023 22:17 UTC