Alabama Defends Anti-Panhandling Laws, Argues Historical Precedent Against First Amendment Protection in Federal Court
Montgomery, Alabama — In a recent federal court debate, the state of Alabama defended its anti-panhandling statutes, urging a reversal of a lower court’s ruling which held these laws as unconstitutional. The appeal was heard by a three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, foregrounding a contentious dialogue between historical legal precedent and modern interpretations of constitutional rights. Jonathan Singleton, a homeless individual from Montgomery, catalyzed the discourse with his 2020 class-action lawsuit, after facing repeated arrests under these state laws. Earlier in 2023, a court concluded that Alabama’s panhandling prohibitions infringed upon … Read more