GREENSBORO, N.C. – A federal court will hear today from civil rights groups who are asking the court to block Greensboro’s recently passed panhandling restriction while the lawsuit proceeds.
WHAT: Conference with the court in challenge to Greensboro City Ordinance that places unconstitutional restrictions on panhandling and other protected speech
WHEN: Friday, August 10, at 4:30 p.m.
WHERE: 324 W. Market Street, Greensboro, NC 27401, Courtroom No. 1
Three people who have experienced homelessness and a national advocacy group filed a federal lawsuit on Wednesday seeking to block a Greensboro ordinance that criminalizes “aggressive” panhandling and many activities protected by the First Amendment.
The plaintiffs are being represented by the American Civil Liberties (ACLU) of North Carolina, Legal Aid of North Carolina and the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty. The groups say that Greensboro’s ordinance violates the free speech, equal protection, and due process rights of people who ask for contributions in public places in the city.
A copy of the lawsuit is available at https://www.acluofnorthcarolina.org/sites/default/files/de.1_complaint.pdf.