by Daniel Lawton
Don’t camp out in Boulder, CO, unless you want to spend a night in the slammer.
The Colorado chapter of the ACLU has filed an appeal with the Colorado Supreme Court on behalf of a homeless man who was convicted under the city’s anti-camping law.
The man, David Lee Madison, was convicted last summer of violating the city’s code by sleeping in a sleeping bag outside. According to the law, it’s only illegal to sleep outside if you use a shelter and the judge ruled that a sleeping bag was shelter.
This is one of the more nonsensical laws I’ve ever heard. You can legally pass out on the grass, but if you’re using a sleeping bag, you’re breaking the law.
According to the ACLU, the law is a restriction of individuals “fundamental right to move freely about and remain if public places” and may also violate the constitutional protection against cruel and unusual punishment.
Bottom line: Find a national park or a camp ground if you feel like sleeping under the stars in Boulder, CO.
