"It's manifesting itself in the way we feared," says Ginny Ramsey, longtime head of the Catholic Action Center.
The center says HB 5’s unlawful camping provision is leading citations, crowded shelters, and people hiding from sight while sleeping outside.
Ramsey says, for now, courts are being lenient in cases of illegal camping and dismissing charges and court fees, but it’s producing an unsustainable legal cycle.
"They're on a treadmill here. They're just going around in circles though," Ramsey says. "If they get cited, they go to court, it gets dismissed. Then if they are seen sleeping again the next night when they have to have some sleep, then they can end up going back to court. The whole thing goes on and on. And how long the courts will continue to dismiss, we don't know."
WLEX reports Lexington police have confirmed they’ve made their first arrest under the new law.
Ramsey’s advice for anyone cited is to make sure they show up for their court date and follow the legal steps, to give judges an opportunity to possibly drop the charges. She also says her organization is gearing up to start its annual count of the city’s homeless population this week.
