COURT FILING CHALLENGES USE OF FLORIDA'S 'HALO LAW' IN RIVERVIEW WOMAN'S ARREST

TAMPA, Fla. — An attorney for a Riverview woman arrested during a Hillsborough County traffic stop last year has asked a judge to dismiss all three misdemeanor charges against her.

The motion argues prosecutors cannot prove she committed a crime and says Florida's relatively new Halo Law does not apply to her actions.

Sandra Zikry was arrested after she approached her brother during a July 2025 traffic stop. Body camera video shows a deputy ordering her several times to leave before arresting her.

WATCH: Court filing challenges use of Florida's 'Halo Law' in Riverview woman's arrest

Zikry faces three misdemeanor charges: violating Florida's Halo Law, resisting an officer without violence, and misuse of the 911 system.

The motion says the facts do not support the charges. The filing also raises constitutional questions about the Halo Law as applied in this case.

Florida's Halo Law generally makes it a crime to remain within 25 feet of a first responder after a warning to stay back if the person intends to impede, threaten, or harass the officer.

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Activists in support of dismissing Zikry’s charges gathered outside the Hillsborough County Courthouse on Thursday for a press conference.

"Every opportunity, we will be standing right by Sandra to whatever degree she wants us to be there," said Jeminy Pierce with the Tampa Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office has said the deputy acted lawfully and professionally.

“Throughout the encounter, the deputy maintained composure and control, ensuring the safety of everyone present,” the sheriff’s office wrote in part. “Notably, the original subject of the traffic stop can be heard pleading with his relatives to calm down and return to their vehicle, which they also ignored.”

WFTS

Last August, Tampa Bay 28 also asked former Hillsborough County Judge Jeffrey Swartz to review the body camera video after the arrest.

"I think he was well within his rights at that point, after he warned her several times," Swartz said at the time. "I didn't see anything abusive about it. The fact that she's pregnant does not immunize her from being arrested when there’s probable cause to do so... I did not see any harassment."

A judge is scheduled to hear arguments on the dismissal motion on Aug. 3.

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