The Florida Justice Institute has filed a lawsuit against Miami's ordinance banning 'aggressive' panhandling, claiming it infringes on First Amendment rights and targets marginalized groups. Since its enactment in 2000, the city has made nearly 400 arrests, mainly of homeless individuals relying on donations. Attorneys argue that the vague definition of 'aggressive' is unconstitutional and that the ordinance exacerbates financial difficulties for the homeless by incurring fines they cannot pay, leading to a cycle of arrest and further barriers to stable employment.
As far as we can tell, it's only been enforced against poor and presumptively homeless people who've been asking for money, said Dante P. Trevisani.
The city's punitive measures ... perpetuate a cycle where homeless persons accrue fines they cannot pay, often leading to arrest and further barriers to stable employment.
The ordinance's definition of 'aggressive' is vague and therefore unconstitutional, argues the Florida Justice Institute in its lawsuit against the city.
The lawsuit hopes to overturn the law, arguing that the city's ordinance violates the First Amendment and does not apply to other forms of speech.
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