Seattle’s Appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court: A Controversial Move in the Homelessness Debate

The two rulings in question, Grants Pass v. Johnson and Martin v. Boise, have raised significant concerns among city officials and leaders across the nation. In Martin v. Boise, individuals experiencing homelessness in Boise, Idaho, alleged that the city violated their Eighth Amendment rights by outlawing sleeping or camping in public, even when there was insufficient shelter space available. The Ninth Circuit Court sided with the plaintiffs in 2018, emphasizing that the government cannot criminalize conduct that results from being homeless. The Grants Pass v. Johnson case, on the other hand, involved a class action lawsuit brought on behalf of involuntarily homeless people in Grants Pass, Oregon. They challenged ordinances that banned camping and sleeping. The court’s decision in this case extended protection to those who are involuntarily homeless, applying the same logic to civil sanctions. <a href="https://medium.com/@sdotvenom/seattles-appeal-to-the-u-s-supreme-court-a-controversial-move-in-the-homelessness-debate-c65c894e41f0">Visit Now</a>