Saturday, June 12, 2010

The end may be in sight for legal battle
over food-sharing (in Las Vegas)


Gail Sacco dishes up a plate of food in this August 2007 photo. "Hopefully the park marshals won't try to find other ways to harass the homeless," she said.


A four-year legal battle that pitted homeless advocates against the city of Las Vegas in a rancorous debate about personal rights versus public safety is on the verge of ending.

Homeless advocates and the city have signed an agreement that would dismiss a federal lawsuit against the city and change codes about how marshals can treat the homeless in parks.

The City Council will review the proposed agreement at a date yet to be determined.

At the heart of the legal skirmish is Gail Sacco, who was cited for feeding more than 25 homeless people in a park without a permit for a gathering that size.

The revised codes would allow up to 75 people to congregate, including to be fed, before a permit is required.

Marshals couldn't ban a homeless person from a park without evidence of unlawful activity, and they would have to justify charging a person with trespassing.

Read the Las Vegas Review-Journal report here. And see previous post here.

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