Class Action Lawsuit Alleges Caltrans Is Violating Homeless People's Constitutional Rights
A complaint filed today (December 13} in state court alleges that the California Department of Transportation is systematically violating the constitutional rights of homeless people in the cities of Oakland, Berkeley, and Emeryville by destroying personal property during "sweeps." According to the attorneys who filed the suit, Caltrans' actions amount to a violation of the California and U.S. constitutions.
"{Caltrans'} illegal actions deprive homeless individuals of personal belongings that are critical to their survival, such as clothing, medication, cooking utensils, tents, and blankets, as well as of irreplaceable personal possessions, such as family photographs," the attorneys claim in their lawsuit.
One of the plaintiffs in the case, James Leone, alleges that in April of this year a Caltrans crew accompanied by CHP officers ordered him to move his camp and belongings off state property, giving him only five minutes to comply. According to Leone, before the five minutes were up, Caltrans workers began throwing his belongings, including a tent, sleeping bag, camping stove, and more, into a trash compactor.
"When Mr. Leone successfully pulled his bicycle out of the compactor before it was could be destroyed, a CHP officer pulled out his Taser and threatened to use it," the lawsuit alleges.
Read more: http://www.eastbayexpress.com/SevenDays/archives/2016/12/13/class-action-lawsuit-alleges-caltrans-is-violating-homeless-peoples-constitutional-rights
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