Town suspends panhandling prohibition pending lawsuit
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NEW ORLEANS - A suburban New Orleans city has told a judge it won't enforce its law requiring people who beg for money at traffic intersections to get panhandling permits.
Court records show the city of Slidell agreed Tuesday that it won't enforce the law until a federal judge determines its constitutionality.
The American Civil Liberties Union and three panhandlers filed a lawsuit last month saying the permit law violates the panhandlers' First Amendment rights.
The ACLU had asked for a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement. U.S. District Judge Lance Africk dismissed that request in light of the city's decision.
It's unclear when Africk will rule on the constitutionality of the law. Slidell's formal answer to the suit had not been filed as of Wednesday. No hearing has been scheduled.