(St. Louis) Homeless can't be arrested without cause, judge rules

[UpInArms]

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/B484AC0B18FC382D86256F2E004A5087?OpenDocument&Headline=Homeless+can't+be+arrested+without+cause,+judge+rules+

In a first-round victory for a group of homeless people, a federal judge on Thursday issued an order prohibiting the St. Louis police from rounding up or arresting street people downtown without suspicion of a crime.

U.S. District Judge E. Richard Webber made his instructions in a temporary restraining order, which says he would hear a fuller discussion of the homeless people's allegations at a future time. No date was set.

On Sept. 17, a coalition of civil liberties lawyers filed suit on behalf of 13 current or former homeless people, alleging that St. Louis police officers have conducted a campaign of harassment and arrests to keep them out of downtown. They specifically charged that police made a point of removing them during Fair St. Louis in July so that fairgoers wouldn't have to see them.

Police Chief Joe Mokwa said Thursday that charge is "absolutely not true." He said his department will comply with Webber's order.

"We have no intention of moving the homeless out of the sight of the public," Mokwa said.

...more...

[htuttle]

1. Are they too busy to use a trumped up charge of 'vagrancy'?

Anyone ever ask you if you had $20 and an ID on you? If you don't answer correctly, you end up in jail as a vagrant. Apparently it's illegal to be poor.

That isn't even covered by this judge's decision, but at least the police will have to go to the trouble of filling out the paperwork now.

Wonder if they'll end up just using front-end loaders someday?



It's SO nice to live in a 'Christian nation'...:puke: