A federal judge slammed the brakes Friday on a lawsuit that has pitted San Francisco homeless advocates against The City for more than a year.
The City had argued that it was pointless to continue litigating in San Francisco until the Supreme Court issues its ruling in Grants Pass v. Johnson, which will have repercussions for cities across the country.
Both the San Francisco and Grants Pass cases pose questions about the constitutional limits cities face when enforcing laws against people who are unhoused. The issue has become particularly fraught as homelessness has risen throughout cities — particularly on the West Coast — in recent years. “The Supreme Court can and should affirm that the government can’t jail you based on your status, who you are, or a condition you have. The case can proceed and take into account any future Supreme Court ruling,” John Do, senior staff attorney with the ACLU of Northern California, said in a statement last month. “The majority of our case is unrelated to whether The City’s practices are cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment and must be resolved.