News

Springfield panhandling laws heading to federal mediation

Posted October 27, 2016 7:00 am

The Associated Press

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - The legal fight over anti-panhandling laws in Springfield is to go before federal mediators next month.

The (Springfield) State Journal-Register reports (http://bit.ly/2fiuXzo ) attorneys representing three panhandlers and lawyers for the city are scheduled for an initial mediation session Nov. 4 in Springfield federal court.

Separate trials are scheduled for next year to address the constitutionality of Springfield's panhandling ordinances. A federal appeals court has struck down part of a 2007 ordinance prohibiting a verbal request for a monetary donation, saying it infringed on the First Amendment.

A separate challenge to a 5-foot privacy zone that aldermen approved in September is also up for review.

Mediation sessions are private. City attorneys say they're often held before going to trial.

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Information from: The State Journal-Register, http://www.sj-r.com

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