A Texas man was found not guilty after he was ticketed for feeding homeless people in Houston.
According to Fox 26, Phillip Picone opted to go to trial after being ticketed while volunteering for Food Not Bombs, a group that has been feeding homeless people near the public library in Downtown Houston for 20 years.
The city had outlawed setting up feeding stations, initially citing public health and safety concerns after violent incidents near the library. It asked that charities moved their services to the old Houston Police Headquarters.
The jury unanimously found Picone "not guilty."
Picone received his ticket on March 3 and is the first of dozens of volunteers to go to trial. Attorney Paul Kubosh represents him and 37 other volunteers.
"What I'm hoping for is vindication," Kubosh told Fox 26 before the hearing. "I'm hoping for not guilty. If you're trying to affect the lives of homeless and trying to make their situation better, you don't do that by attacking the Samaritan. This law is not about the homeless. It's about the Samaritan."
The city of Houston defended the charges in a statement.
"The City of Houston intends to vigorously pursue violations of its ordinance relating to feeding of the homeless," city attorney Arturo Michel said. "It is a health and safety issue for the protection of Houston's residents. There have been complaints and incidents regarding the congregation of the homeless around the library, even during off hours."
