June 23, 2025 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

Supreme Court Declines to Hear Case on Law Punisning Homeless Sleeping in Public Places

Ruling ties hands for lawmakers grappling with encampments, celebrated by homeless advocates

By Sam Catanzaro

The Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal in a case surrounding a Boise, Idaho law that would have made it illegal to sleep in public places, a setback for many West Coast cities grappling with a growing homelessness crisis.

The decision, issued by the court without comment Monday, leaves in place earlier rulings by the 9th Circuit appeals court, in the case Martin v. Boise, that homeless persons cannot be punished for sleeping outside on public property in the absence of adequate alternatives. The ruling is binding in the 9th Circuit, covering nine states including California, a state home to 1/4 of the nation’s homeless population.

Lawyers representing Boise argued that the decision ultimately hurts the individuals the law claims to protect by hindering lawmakers within the 9th Circuit from managing homeless encampments that pose a public safety risk.

“Public encampments, now protected by the Constitution under the Ninth Circuit’s decision, have spawned crime and violence, incubated disease, and created environmental hazards that threaten the lives and well-being both of those living on the streets and the public at large,” said lawyers for Boise in court documents.

Los Angeles County, where homelessness increased 16 percent the past year, and many other governing bodies backed Boise in its petition to the Supreme Court.

“The Martin decision forbids municipalities from enforcing common sense ordinances that prohibit public camping unless those local governments can offer acceptable shelter to every unhoused person in the jurisdiction. In other words, the County could be powerless to address camping in public places by anyone until it provides shelter for everyone,” the County wrote in September.

LA County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl who represents Santa Monica and is a Santa Monica resident, however, voted against backing Boise’s petition in September.

“We need to continue to provide more and more housing and shelter and services, not simply ticket and arrest,” Kuehl said.

This was a view shared by lawyers representing homeless individuals and their advocates following the Supreme Court’s decision Monday.

“We’re thrilled that the Court has let the 9th Circuit decision stand so that homeless people are not punished for sleeping on the streets when they have no other option,” said Maria Foscarinis, Executive Director at the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty. “But ultimately, our goal is to end homelessness through housing—which is effective and saves taxpayer dollars—so that no one has to sleep on the streets in the first place. We hope that the 9th Circuit decision will help communities find the political will to put that housing in place. Housing, not handcuffs, is what ends homelessness.”

The case now returns to the 9th Circuit. The City of Boise says it is evaluating options for its next actions.

<>Related Posts

Shooting at Waymo Car Injures Two Juveniles in Santa Monica

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

Preliminary findings suggest the shooting was a targeted, isolated incident stemming from a verbal altercation earlier that evening between the...

Sculptor-Designed Marina Del Rey Beach Home Hits Market for Nearly $10M

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

The four-bedroom, six-bathroom residence, known as Shore House, features black glass windows across two wings A 6,603-square-foot beachfront home, designed...

Downtown Santa Monica Landmark Faces Uncertainty as Loan Misses Maturity Deadline

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

$26.7M Santa Monica Office Loan Moves to Special Servicing Amid Cash Flow Shortfall Morningstar Credit reported that the loan tied...

Santa Monica to Begin AI-Powered Bus Lane Enforcement in July

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

The program follows a 45-day pilot conducted earlier this year along Lincoln Boulevard, where 511 potential violations were identified, though...

A.O.C. Brentwood to Close After 16 Years on San Vicente Boulevard

June 22, 2025

June 22, 2025

Chef Goin and Styne Cite Unsustainably High Rent in Decision to Close  A.O.C. Brentwood, the acclaimed Westside outpost from James...

Malibu Traffic Delays Expected: REPORT

June 21, 2025

June 21, 2025

The warning applies to the first weekend of summer Transportation officials are warning travelers on the Pacific Coast Highway through...

Strongman to Pull 34,680-Pound Bus at Santa Monica Pier

June 21, 2025

June 21, 2025

Licis, also the 2022 “Arnold Strongman Classic” champion, will undertake the feat to showcase his strength  Strongman Martins Licis, the...

All Aboard to LAX: Metro Opens Game-Changing Transit Hub Ahead of Global Events

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

 New LAX/Metro Transit Center Comes Closer to Connecting Metro Directly to LAX The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro)...

New Leadership at Samohi: Jane Han Named House Principal

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

Equity-Focused Educator Joins Samohi Leadership Team By Diana Bouchaaya, SMMUSD Communications Specialist The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) Board...

Food Fight on the Venice Boardwalk: Chefs Stand Up for Immigrants with Food

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

Turk’s Pizza Party Rallies Top Local Eateries for an Immigrant Rights Fundraiser In a bold display of culinary activism, Turk’s...

Weekend Lane Closures on PCH in Malibu Could Snarl Summer Beach Traffic

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

Army Corps Work Triggers Weekend Closure on Pacific Coast Highway Motorists traveling along Pacific Coast Highway this weekend should prepare...

SMC Gallery to Showcase Faculty Art in Virtual Exhibition

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

The online event will feature works by seven Emeritus faculty artists. The Santa Monica College Emeritus Art Gallery will host...

(Video) Where great minds grow at The Willows Community School

June 19, 2025

June 19, 2025

The Willows, a DK-8 co-educational school, enrolls 474 students from 57+ zip codes annually. As a balanced, progressive educational leader, experiential learning,...

Film Review: The Life of Chuck

June 19, 2025

June 19, 2025

FILM REVIEWTHE LIFE OF CHUCKRated R110 MinutesReleased June 6th A  heartfelt movie of lie, love, friendship and loss, delivered in...

THIS WEEKEND: Five Outdoor Concerts for Make Music Day Comes to Santa Monica

June 19, 2025

June 19, 2025

The global event, inspired by France’s Fête de la Musique, unites communities through music and is observed in over 800...