The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday sided with an Oregon city’s camping ban measure, a move some experts say will strengthen a similar law in Denver .
Why it matters: The decision emboldens Denver’s controversial urban camping ban, which has been in place since 2012. Advocates argue it criminalizes homelessness.
Catch up quick: The SCOTUS case stems from a 2018 lawsuit filed on behalf of the homeless population in Grants Pass, Oregon.
- It targets a local law banning people from sleeping in parks or using sleeping materials to set up living spaces. It allowed authorities to ticket or jail people in violation.
- Lawyers representing the plaintiffs said the law violated the Constitution’s clause prohibiting “cruel and unusual punishment.”
Driving the news: The high court’s decision says enforcing laws regulating camping on public grounds doesn’t violate the Constitutional clause against cruel and unusual punishment, per SCOTUSblog .
- The court’s conservative majority sided with the city, 6-3, with Justice Neil Gorsuch writing the majority opinion.