Las Vegas NowAdvocates for Las Vegas' Homeless Declare Victory

Advocates for Las Vegas' Homeless Declare Victory

Advocates for the homeless are declaring a victory after a federal judge found Las Vegas' ban on feeding the homeless unconstitutional.

Judge Robert Jones issued an injunction Monday against the city to stop enforcing the law. The judge ruled the city's ban unfairly targets poor people.

However, the city doesn't consider the ruling a clear defeat and plans to draft a new law that would be constitutional.

Jonathan Quinn is homeless. He spends his days at Huntridge Circle Park and his nights wherever he can.

He says over the last two nights, people drove up and dropped off food for everyone there to share, breaking Las Vegas law in the process.

Quinn applauds the court for stepping in to stop the city's crackdown on feeding the homeless. "Thank God we have a decent judicial system that can actually override our, our wonderful mayor," he said.

In issuing his injunction, Judge Jones called the law unconstitutional because it banned a single person from feeding a single person.

It supports a municipal court ruling marking a victory for the American Civil Liberties Union and advocates for the homeless. But it's also not a clear defeat for the city.

This injunction leaves open the possibility for the city to draft a new ordinance outlining general rules for feeding groups of people in parks. But, the ACLU is confident another such law would also be struck down if it targets the poor.

Diana Daher says she definitely noticed a drop-off in the kindness of strangers after the city passed its law. "They stopped coming out because the cops told them that if they didn't stop feeding the homeless that they would get a ticket," she said.

As for whether things will improve after the court ruling, she can only hope. "I don't know. It all depends on the people. I mean there's a lot of people that don't like us being out on the park."

Life hasn't been a walk in the park for Daher in her year of homelessness.

Now that the door is once again open for people to stop by with food, will they?

Las Vegas city attorney Brad Jerbic says the city will begin writing a new ordinance once the judge issues his ruling in writing.

Email your comments to Reporter Jim Niedelman.