After lengthy testimony and oral arguments during Thursday morning and afternoon court sessions, Judge Schenkier announced his decision Friday afternoon.
He denied the motion, clearing the way for the repairs to get underway.
Restoration work to make the viaducts safe for everyone passing beneath Wilson and Lawrence is scheduled to begin Monday, September 18th. The people who have been occupying the sidewalks beneath the dangerous, crumbling viaducts were given 30 days' notice to leave on or before that date.
The motion opposed the removal of people under the dangerous, crumbling viaducts on Constitutional grounds, saying that it was a violation of First Amendment rights (that the presence of a tent city in a visible spot was "freedom of speech") and Eighth Amendment rights (removing them was "cruel and unusual punishment").
Further Affiant Sayeth Not.
Related news articles:
Yes! And now they move one block over! NO! This has to stop! Everything cant just be giving to the Homeless for free! They have to get up & want something out of life too! Like a roof over there heads etc..! Its program to help them, but most of them are refusing help, because they used to hand outs! ENOUGH!
ReplyDeleteI'm curious. Is Uptown the only area in the city where the homeless are allowed to live in tents on public property? I don't recall seeing them in other neighborhoods. Is that because there are no homeless anywhere but Uptown or because their tent cities aren't tolerated in other neighborhoods? What solutions have other Alderman come up with for housing the homeless, or are they all shuttled to, and dumped in, Uptown?
ReplyDeleteUptown has more properties and services designated to the homeless and rehab services than any other part of the city. We just naturally have more homeless people because of it. I would rather contribute towards free studio apartments for them but if they don't want to go to housing it doesn't leave the government much choice.
ReplyDelete