LOCAL NEWS
Supreme Court Declines Case On Ban Against Homeless Sleeping In Public
Dec 17, 2019, 7:18 AM
(Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
(CNN) – Homeless people can still sleep on sidewalks and in parks in Boise without fear of getting ticketed by police.
The Supreme Court of the United States let stand a lower court opinion that struck down a law allowing officers to issue tickets to those homeless people.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals blocked the law as a violation of the Constitution’s Eighth Amendment bar on cruel and unusual punishment. The city argued the ordinance was needed to make sure the areas remain safe, accessible and sanitary.
However, the U.S. Supreme Court declined Monday to take up Boise’s appeal to reinstate the law.
This case could impact cities and towns across the country that have similar laws.