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Criminal Law Keyed to Kaplan
City of Grants Pass v. Johnson
Citation:
603 U.S. 520 (2024)Facts
The City of Grants Pass, Oregon enacted ordinances that prohibited camping on streets, sidewalks, parks, or other public property. The ordinances defined “camping” to include sleeping outdoors with bedding materials or sleeping bags. Violations were punishable by fines that increased with repeated offenses and could ultimately lead to jail time. Gloria Johnson and other homeless individuals residing in Grants Pass, who had been cited and fined under these ordinances, filed suit alleging that the enforcement of these laws against individuals who had nowhere else to go violated the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. The plaintiffs argued that they were effectively being punished for their status as homeless individuals, rather than for any voluntary conduct.
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9m 29s