Monteiro V. City of Cranston

This is a federal lawsuit on behalf of a disabled person summoned to court and threatened with arrest for holding a handwritten sign seeking donations as he stood on the median of a Cranston roadway. The suit argued that the ordinance infringes on individuals’ free speech rights in a public forum “where the government’s power to regulate speech is most constrained,” is unconstitutionally vague, and improperly bars individuals from standing on or near the road based entirely on the content of their message. In addition to being unconstitutional, ordinances like these are selectively enforced against, and further criminalize, the poor and homeless. Current Status: A settlement was reached with the City of Cranston in April 2016.