L.A. may appeal again to ease ban on seizing carts of homeless
Los Angeles may file another appeal of a ban on seizing and destroying property that homeless people leave unattended on skid row.
In a notice of appeal filed Wednesday, the city indicated that it may challenge a federal judge’s refusal to modify the ban. The U.S. Supreme Court last month refused to consider a separate appeal.
In its request for a modification, the city had argued that the ban was preventing authorities from cleaning up skid row. Citing a successful cleanup after the city was cited last year for health violations, U.S. District Judge Philip S. Gutierrez said, “When the city wanted to clean up, it did.”
Attorney Carol Sobel, who represents eight homeless people who sued the city over the confiscations, called the city’s arguments “disingenuous.”
“The city should be focusing resources on providing access to toilets, not continuing to litigate the issue they have now lost 5 times,” she said in an email message.
A spokesman said City Atty. Mike Feuer “sees the litigation as an opportunity to have serious conversations with all the stakeholders about improving conditions on skid row and for homeless people,” spokesman Rob Wilcox said.
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Twitter: @geholland
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