Local trespass and nuisance laws are usually imposed against the poor, homeless, mentally impaired, and those addicted to alcohol and drugs
Loitering, also known as vagrancy, falls under the legal category of “causing a public nuisance.”
Historically, poverty, mental illness, drugs, and family displacement have caused vagrancy. These laws have been constitutionally challenged because they discriminate against the homeless and mentally impaired.
Many argue that vagrancy laws are devoid of compassion.
