On December 16, the U.S. Supreme Court denied a petition by the city of Boise, ID to review the case Martin v. Boise (formerly Bell v. Boise), leaving in place earlier rulings by the Ninth Circuit that homeless persons cannot be punished for sleeping outside on public property in the absence of adequate alternatives. The Supreme Court's decision, issued without comment, means that the April 2019 ruling is binding in the Ninth Circuit, covering nine states including most of the western states, and carries national influence. The ruling also means that homeless individuals who have received criminal citations under Boise's policy can now proceed with their constitutional claims against the City.
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