A group of homeless people in a small Oregon city challenged local laws banning sleeping in public. The case has broad implications for homelessness policy throughout the country.
A majority of the justices appeared skeptical of courts wading into the thorny policy questions around when local governments can punish people for sleeping and camping outdoors.
A group of homeless plaintiffs argue that local laws aimed at banning sleeping outside violated their constitutional rights. The city claims that’s not what the Eighth Amendment means.