Medford won't appeal panhandling ruling after all
Medford will rewrite a law banning panhandling rather than appealing a judge's order that found previous limits unconstitutional, the City Council decided today.
The council decided against an appeal after the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down a similar law in Washington last week.
"The 9th Circuit Court made a ruling that basically knocks our legal arguments out right underneath us," said Medford City Attorney Lori Cooper.
In May, the City Council had voted for the city to challenge an order by Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Lorenzo Mejia that found Medford's law against begging unconstitutional.
Mejia's order found Medford's ordinance violated protections of free speech contained in Article 1, Section 8, of Oregon's Constitution. He also criticized it as convoluted and not particularly well-written with definitions and prohibitions interspersed.
In light of the 9th Circuit Court ruling, the city decided it would attempt to write a new ordinance to deal with panhandling.
"You will be seeing something coming your way in the near future," Medford Police Chief Randy Schoen told City Council members today.
— Damian Mann
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