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The handwriting is on the wall for Orlando's homeless-feeding law

By Jacqueline Dowd

Orlando's restrictions on feeding the homeless in public parks don't seem to serve any purpose other than spreading the problem around and discouraging the homeless from showing up, a federal judge said Wednesday.

U.S. District Judge Gregory Presnell made his opinion known while hearing arguments from a city lawyer, who wants a lawsuit challenging Orlando's homeless-feeding rules thrown out.

"How does moving the problem around address any legitimate public interest?" Presnell said. "You're not solving the problem, just moving it around and perhaps making it worse."

Presnell isn't expected to rule on the request to dismiss the lawsuit for a few weeks. But if his questions and comments were any indication, he doesn't think much of the city's argument that the rules are needed for reasons of public safety, park crowding and litter.

Read the Orlando Sentinel report here.

Full post as published by the 13th juror on March 27, 2008 (boomark / email).