CITY OF MONTGOMERY, AL WILL NO LONGER FINE, JAIL PEOPLE FOR PANHANDLING

摘要

In a recent settlement, the city of Montgomery, AL has agreed that it will immediately stop arresting or ticketing people who panhandle. The settlement serves as a resolution to a lawsuit filed in February, 2020 by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), ACLU of Alabama, and the National Homelessness Law Center (NHLC) on behalf of people who panhandle. The organizations challenged the enforcement of two state statutes that make it unlawful for anyone to "beg" or "solicit" and subject those who do to fines or jail. In the same lawsuit, the group of organizations also sued Montgomery County and the state of Alabama for enforcement of the same statutes. That litigation is still pending.