September 9, 2024
FJI has reached a settlement with Columbia County, resolving its lawsuit against the ordinance which prohibited solicitation and loitering on county property with a building. The ordinance had prevented the plaintiff Cosac Foundation from distributing its magazine the Homeless Voice and requesting donations in front of the county courthouse building. Under the settlement, the county will repeal the ordinance and pay the plaintiff $100,000 in damages and attorneys’ fees. This victory for free speech preserves the public’s ability use public spaces to communicate messages under the First Amendment.
This case is part of FJI’s efforts to end the criminalization of poverty.