Current:Home > NewsTexas man ticketed for feeding the homeless outside Houston library is found not guilty-LoTradeCoin
Texas man ticketed for feeding the homeless outside Houston library is found not guilty
View Date:2024-12-23 22:41:08
HOUSTON (AP) — A man has been found not guilty of breaking a law against feeding homeless people outside a public library in Houston, concluding the first trial to be held after dozens of tickets were issued against volunteers for the group Food Not Bombs.
Friday’s verdict in the sprawling Texas city is latest flashpoint in the debate in many American cities over whether feeding the homeless is an act of charity or a crime that raises health and safety concerns among people who live and work nearby.
“This law that the city has passed is absurd. It criminalizes the Samaritan for giving,” lawyer Paul Kubosh, who represented volunteer Phillip Picone, told KPRC 2 after last week’s verdict.
The city of Houston said it will continue to “vigorously pursue violations of its ordinance relating to feeding of the homeless,” according to a statement released to news outlets.
“It is a health and safety issue for the protection of Houston’s residents,” city attorney Arturo Michel said.
Food Not Bombs had provided meals four nights a week outside the Houston Public Library for decades without incident. But the city posted a notice at the site warning that police would soon start issuing citations, and the first came in March.
City regulations on who can provide free meals outdoors to those in need were enacted in 2012. The ordinance requires such groups to get permission from property owners if they feed more than five people, but it wasn’t enforced until recently, Nick Cooper, a volunteer with Food Not Bombs, told The Associated Press in March.
The office of Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner had said tickets were being issued in part because of an increased number of threats and violent incidents directed at employees and visitors to the library by homeless individuals. The office said the city had started providing meals and other services for homeless individuals at an approved facility located about a mile (.6 kilometer) north of the library.
“We simply cannot lose control of the iconic and historic building that is intended to be a special and safe place for all,” the mayor’s office said.
Cooper said that the approved location wasn’t ideal because it is close to a police station, although Food Not Bombs members were willing to discuss alternatives.
The group has argued that the city’s law is immoral and violates freedoms of expression and religion, the Houston Chronicle reported.
Picone, the Food Not Bombs volunteer, had received a criminal citation in March after police allegedly told the group to move their operations to another location, the Chronicle reported. As of last week, group members have received 45 tickets, each seeking $254, for continuing to pass out meals at the library.
The newspaper reported that Picone’s trial was the first for the series of tickets that were issued. Nine more tickets are scheduled for court on Thursday and Friday.
veryGood! (12)
Related
- Taking stock of bonds: Does the 60/40 rule still have a role in retirement savings?
- Study: Bottled water can contain up to 100 times more nanoplastic than previously believed
- Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers announces return to Longhorns amid interest in NFL draft
- Pizza Hut offering free large pizza in honor of Guest Appreciation Day
- Lou Donaldson, jazz saxophonist who blended many influences, dead at 98
- Lululemon Just Dropped These Shiny & Jewel-Toned Items to We Made Too Much, Starting at $24
- Blinken sees a path to Gaza peace, reconstruction and regional security after his Mideast tour
- Riots in Papua New Guinea’s 2 biggest cities reportedly leave 15 dead
- Don't Miss This Sweet Moment Between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's Dads at the Kansas City Chiefs Game
- Record 20 million Americans signed up for Affordable Care Act coverage for 2024
Ranking
- Horoscopes Today, November 13, 2024
- What do you think of social media these days? We want to hear your stories
- Microsoft lets cloud users keep personal data within Europe to ease privacy fears
- Vivek Ramaswamy says he's running an America first campaign, urges Iowans to caucus for him to save Trump
- Forget the bathroom. When renovating a home, a good roof is a no-brainer, experts say.
- Pat McAfee says Aaron Rodgers is no longer appearing on his show
- Todd and Julie Chrisley receive $1M settlement in 2019 lawsuit against tax official
- Another layer of misery: Women in Gaza struggle to find menstrual pads, running water
Recommendation
-
A pair of Trump officials have defended family separation and ramped-up deportations
-
Greek prime minister says legislation allowing same-sex marriage will be presented soon
-
Another layer of misery: Women in Gaza struggle to find menstrual pads, running water
-
Running from gossip, Ariana Madix finds relief in Broadway’s salacious musical, ‘Chicago’
-
Duke basketball vs Kentucky live updates: Highlights, scores, updates from Champions Classic
-
What if I owe taxes but I'm unemployed? Tips for filers who recently lost a job
-
Tired of waiting for the delayed Emmys? Our TV critic presents The Deggy Awards
-
Live updates | UN top court hears genocide allegation as Israel focuses fighting in central Gaza