Grandma promises to persevere in order to provide food for the homeless in Bullhead City Park.
AZFamily, Bullhead City, Arizona — Despite being instructed to stop feeding homeless people in public parks, a grandmother in Arizona is adamant about continuing to aid those in her community.
Norma Thornton’s case against Bullhead City was dismissed by the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona last week.
Suranjan Sen, Thornton’s lawyer with the Institute for Justice, said, “Well, I think it’s unfortunate.”
Thornton was arrested in March 2022 for providing meals to homeless individuals in a public park. According to a local regulation, distributing meals in public parks without a permit is a crime.
Despite the fact that Thornton’s charges were eventually dismissed, she wished to
She believes this ordinance is unconstitutional, and we have argued that it is for a variety of reasons,” said Sen.
Thornton has been fighting to overturn the city’s rule, which she believes limits her charitable efforts.
“She wants to be able to go back to serving people in the park like she used to,” said Sen.
For now, Thornton is now continuing to help people from an alley
The city said the court’s decision underscores its ordinance regulating how meals are distributed to promote public health and safety.
Sen said they would submit their appeal in a couple of months.
“This isn’t really a question, or case that turns on any factual disputes. The question is about what the Constitution demands – what the Constitution requires,” said Sen.
