Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Academic Blogs -> the 13th juror

Academic

: the 13th juror

Sweeps of homeless camps ruled unconstitutional

Sending out city workers to raid homeless camps and destroy whatever personal property they found there violates the U.S. Constitution, a federal judge has ruled.

Fresno's "clean up" policy in homeless tent cities violates the Fourth Amendment, which bars unreasonable searches and seizures. Read U.S. District Judge Oliver W. Wanger's ruling here.

Fresno faces a class-action lawsuit brought by homeless people who claim police and sanitation workers violated their constitutional rights in at least 20 different sweeps from 2004 to 2006.

A trial set to begin next month will determine how much money the city owes the plaintiffs.

Read the Fresno Bee report here.

Full post as published by the 13th juror on May 13, 2008 (boomark / email).