Homeless Class Action Gets OK In Denver

A federal court judge in Denver has refused to throw out a lawsuit that targets the city of Denver and several of its municipal officials, including the mayor and the police chief. Last April the same federal judge granted class action status to the lawsuit, which had originally been filed with nine named plaintiffs in September of 2016. Plaintiffs argue that “sweeps,” in which personal property of people living on the streets is confiscated and destroyed, violate the property owners’ constitutional rights. In this latest ruling, in addition to denying the defendant’s motion to dismiss, the judge also refused to grant a plaintiff motion for summary judgement. The plaintiffs’ attorney says he expects the trial to proceed in about six months.