Supreme Court Declines To Hear Case On Homeless Services; Status Quo Stands

On December 16, 2019, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) refused to hear a case on homeless services, Robert Martin, et. al v. City of Boise. The justices refused the case without comment or a dissent. As a result, an April 2019 ruling by a federal appeals court stands; it affirmed a district court ruling that homeless persons cannot be punished for sleeping outside on public property in the absence of adequate alternatives.

In the case, six plaintiffs sought damages for citations issued by the City of Boise for sleeping on public property. They alleged that their citations . . .