Open Table Nashville contributes to SCOTUS Amicus Brief

By Logan Langlois NASHVILLE, TN — Open Table Nashville (OTN) has joined over 1,000 organizations and public leaders in filing more than 40 amicus briefs to the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) in anticipation of their upcoming consideration of Johnson v. Grant Pass. This will be a landmark case regarding how homelessness is handled by government bodies within the United States in public spaces. Previous courts presiding over the case ruled that communities without sufficient housing and beds cannot fine, cite, or arrest people for using a blanket, pillow, and other supplies on public properties. Outreach Specialist for OTN India Pungarcher said that it surprised a lot of her fellow activists, and her, to hear that the Supreme Court would be taking verbal arguments on this case in Washington D.C. on April 22. Pungarcher said OTN was asked to join the amicus brief by their national partners, including the National Homelessness Law Center and National Alliance to End Homelessness, to contribute their knowledge and testimony. Pungarcher said the contributions provided by OTN included helping a pro bono legal team draft the brief with the most current research on how to respond to homelessness. Pungarcher said what is being...