Appeals court ruling on homeless sparks local debate

Mom's Comment: The only problem with this is "we"
do not FOLLOW the ordinance as it pertains to the homeless.


Appeals court ruling on homeless sparks local debate

By Matt Pordum

Las Vegas Sun, April 18, 2006

While a federal appeals court's decision last week makes it clear that there's no crime in being homeless, the court's notice of a Las Vegas ordinance is only going to ignite the debate locally.

City officials and defense attorneys disagree over the meaning of a ruling Friday by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on arrests of homeless people. The court cited a Las Vegas ordinance as an example of finding "ways to avoid criminalizing the status of homelessness."

"I think if you read the 9th Circuit opinion, the court has gone out of its way to approve the ordinance we follow in Las Vegas as it pertains to the homeless," Las Vegas City Attorney Brad Jerbic said.

To read the full article:

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/sun/2006/apr/18/566688430.html?homeless