The Southern Poverty Law Center’s attempt to represent the interests of homeless individuals in a restaurant owner’s lawsuit against the city of St. Petersburg has failed. The lawsuit between the city and Ronicca Whaley, owner of the Shiso Crispy restaurant, addresses a new Florida statute that prohibits municipalities from regularly allowing outdoor sleeping on public property.
Whaley’s suit against the city claims that St. Petersburg is allowing regular outdoor sleeping in Williams Park—a location which has had an established homeless population for decades—near where Whaley chose to open her new restaurant. Whaley’s lawsuit argues that the homeless individuals sleeping in the park disrupt customers, taking business away from her new restaurant. She asks the court to order the city to comply with Florida statute 125.0231(2), something the city says it is already doing, noting that many of Whaley’s complaints are regarding occurrences on private property.
In lawsuits where a third party other than the plaintiff or the defense is affected by the outcome of the case, the third party may seek to intervene to ensure its interests are represented. Intervenors must prove an immediate and direct impact they would experience as a result of the lawsuit…