Supreme Court sides with Grants Pass, says camping bans can be enforced

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — In the first of the Friday rulings to be released, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled the city of Grants Pass can enforce a camping ban in a case that could have nationwide impacts on how cities handle the homeless population.

Originally, Grants Pass attempted to put restrictions on camping on public property. However, lawyers representing the two defendants challenging the city ordinance, Gloria Johnson and John Logan, argued the ban amounted to cruel and unusual punishment, violating their Eighth Amendment rights.

Ultimately, the Supreme Court sided with the city in the decision, 6-3.

The original Grants Pass ordinance could see violators issued a $250 fine, which could increase to $537.60 if left unpaid. After that, criminal trespass charges could be issued following two citations, with a maximum fine of $1,250 and 30 days in jail.

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear the filing by Grants Pass after both the U.S. District Court and the 9th District Court of Appeals declined, Portland Tribune reported.

The precedent previously set in nine states — including Oregon — under the authority of the 9th Circuit Court was that city camping bans were unconstitutional. This comes after the 9th Circuit ruled in 2018 that such a ban in Boise, Idaho, was found to violate the Eight Amendment for enforcing it without offering alternative shelters. The 9th Circuit reaffirmed that camping bans without alternative shelter options equate to cruel and unusual punishment by blocking the Grants Pass camping ban.

The Supreme Court ruling will have ramifications on a national level at a time when homelessness in the U.S. is at an all-time high. There are an estimated 650,000 people experiencing homelessness in the U.S., the highest number since yearly point-in-time surveys began in 2007.

Oregon, in particular, has among the highest rates of homelessness and drug addiction nationwide and ranks near the bottom for access to treatment.

This is a developing story and will be updated.