The U.S. Supreme Court announced today that it would not hear an appeal by the City of Springfield on a case over panhandlers’ rights.
The denial follows a lower court’s ruling that part of the city’s panhandling ordinance is unconstitutional.
The case began in 2013 when two Springfield panhandlers sued the city over an ordinance that prohibited vocal appeals for donation in the city’s downtown.
That case resulted in the ordinance being struck down by an appellate court, and the city passed a new ordinance in 2015 preventing panhandlers from approaching within five feet of potential donors.
The panhandlers sued the city a second time in a separate case, which is ongoing.
At issue in both cases is whether the city’s prohibitions violate the panhandlers’ First Amendment rights to free speech.
Contact Patrick Yeagle at pyeagle@illinoistimes.com.
This article appears in Feb 25 – Mar 2, 2016.
