In June 2024, the Supreme Court released its decision for Ci…
In June 2024, the Supreme Court released its decision for City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, which had ramifications for homeless persons across the US. The municipal code of Grants Pass, Oregon restricted camping on public property or parking overnight in the city’s parks, and violations could result in fines or imprisonment. Given that the number of unhoused persons exceeded the number of available shelter beds in the city, homeless persons living in the city necessarily faced civil or criminal prosecution. Therefore, a group of homeless individuals filed suit, arguing that these ordinances violated the Eighth Amendment, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. After consideration, the Supreme Court issued a 6-3 decision upholding (i.e., approving) the city’s ban on homeless residents sleeping outdoors. In her dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor argued that the decision left homeless persons with fewer protections. The city’s municipal code that imposed fines and imprisonment for people “sleeping anywhere in public at any time, including in their cars” effectively punishes people for being homeless, which is “unconscionable and unconstitutional.” She continued, adding that the ordinances “ the most vulnerable in our society with an impossible choice: Either stay awake or be arrested. The Constitution provides a baseline of rights for all Americans…housed and unhoused. This Court must safeguard those rights even when…doing so is uncomfortable or unpopular.” Based on the opinion provided above, Justice Sotomayor is practicing which of the following?