Woman to Face Trial for Feeding Pigeons
A municipal judge on Thursday set a Nov. 18 trial date for a Pasadena woman who is charged with violating a city ordinance prohibiting the feeding of pigeons on public streets, but her attorney said a settlement in the case is near.
Jacqueline Hagopian, 59, faces a maximum penalty of six months in jail or a $500 fine if she is convicted in the case, which pits city health concerns against Hagopian’s belief that, as a born-again Christian, she must fulfill a vow to God to feed pigeons. The case stems from a 1996 complaint after Pasadena public health officials watched her feed pigeons in a parking lot and on a street corner in apparent violation of the 1964 law.
The city prosecutor’s office and Hagopian’s attorney have said that they are hoping the case can be dismissed and a place can be found for Hagopian to feed the birds.
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