Papachristou v. City of Jacksonville

Papachristou v. Jacksonville

Argued December 8–, 1971
Decided February 24, 1972
Full case name Margaret Papachristou et al. v. City of Jacksonville
Docket nos. 70-5030
Citations

405 U.S. 156 (more)

92 S. Ct. 839; 31 L. Ed. 2d 110; 1972 U.S. LEXIS 84
Prior history Certiorari to the District Court of Appeal of Florida, 236 So. 2d 141 (1970)
Holding
The court ruled that the Jacksonville vagrancy ordinance was unconstitutionally vague because people do not have fair notice of forbidden behavior and are arbitrarily arrested.
Court membership
Chief Justice
Warren E. Burger
Case opinions
Majority Douglas, joined by Burger, Brennan, Stewart, White, Marshall, Blackmun
Powell and Rehnquist took no part in the consideration or decision of the case.

Papachristou v. Jacksonville, 405 U.S. 156 (1972), was a United States Supreme Court case resulting in a Jacksonville vagrancy ordinance being declared unconstitutionally vague. The case was argued on December 8, 1971, and decided on February 24, 1972. The respondent was the city of Jacksonville, Florida.

Facts

Papachristou was one of eight defendants who were convicted for violating a Jacksonville, Florida, vagrancy ordinance which forbade a large number of activities including "wandering or strolling around from place to place without any lawful purpose or object". The defendants were charged with several violations under the ordinance: being vagabonds, loitering, being common thieves, disorderly loitering, and resisting arrest.

Opinion of the Court

The court held that the vagrancy ordinance was unconstitutionally vague because it gave too much arbitrary power to the police. The court found that the laws could potentially criminalize a variety of innocent activities, such as "Nightwalking," or "habitually living 'without visible means of support.'" A valid law, the Court found, needed to be clearly written and evenly administered.

See also

External links


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