{"id":43,"date":"2026-05-08T21:04:39","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T21:04:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/?p=43"},"modified":"2026-05-08T21:04:39","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T21:04:39","slug":"is-boulders-camping-ban-constitutional-colorado-court-of-appeals-hears-arguments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/?p=43","title":{"rendered":"Is Boulder\u2019s camping ban constitutional? Colorado Court of Appeals hears arguments"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

A three-judge panel heard oral arguments Tuesday in a lawsuit seeking to halt enforcement of Boulder\u2019s camping ban, with judges pressing both sides on how to interpret the state constitution and whether the city\u2019s ordinance targets conduct or the status of being homeless.<\/p>\n

Read more Boulder nonprofit moves ahead with affordable senior housing project amid landmarking dispute<\/a><\/p>\n

The ACLU of Colorado filed the lawsuit in 2022 on behalf of several homeless people, arguing that ticketing people for sleeping outside with as little as a blanket amounts to cruel and unusual punishment when no shelter is available. A Boulder County District Court decision upheld the ban in 2025, relying heavily on the U.S. Supreme Court\u2019s ruling in Grants Pass v. Johnson, which found a similar Oregon ordinance did not violate the Eighth Amendment.<\/p>\n

During oral arguments this week, plaintiffs argued that the Colorado Constitution should be read more broadly than the federal version given the state\u2019s history and geography. The city countered that the Colorado Supreme Court has signaled it does not interpret those protections differently.<\/p>\n

The judges appeared skeptical of both positions at times. No timeline has been set for an opinion from the court. <\/p>\n

They also questioned whether the court should deviate from Grants Pass and whether the Colorado Constitution should be interpreted more broadly than the U.S. Constitution.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI know we can interpret our own state constitution to provide broader protections, and certainly our state Supreme Court has done that, but it has also signaled alignment or mirroring of the Eighth Amendment,\u201d Judge Grant T. Sullivan told the plaintiffs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sullivan also asked the plaintiffs where cities can draw a line between criminalizing someone\u2019s status and their conduct.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s cruel and unusual to prevent a person from using a blanket to cover themselves in the elements, that might be very well true, but I think that same rationale could be applied to building a fire to keep yourself warm during cold Colorado winters,\u201d Sullivan said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Read more Boulder\u2019s main homeless shelter will limit stays for people without local ties<\/a><\/p>\n

Andy McNulty, a Denver-based civil rights lawyer representing the plaintiffs, said courts should decide where to draw that line.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that all of these cases present a balancing test \u2026 of governmental interests against the constitutional rights of individuals,\u201d McNulty said. \u201cThat\u2019s what courts are here to decide.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite this apparent skepticism of the plaintiffs\u2019 argument, Judge Sullivan also asked the city to clarify how its camping ban does not target the status of homelessness.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s pretty plainly targeting the unhoused,\u201d he said of the city\u2019s camping ban. \u201cIt reminds me of the adage \u2026 \u2018a tax on yarmulkes is a tax on Jews.\u2019 So help me understand why it\u2019s a conduct-related regulation and not targeting status in disguise.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Andrew D. Ringel, a lawyer representing the city, said homeless people can do other things in the City of Boulder that are not criminalized, such as sitting in a park or walking around.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOne could argue that different lines could be drawn in that context, but I think that\u2019s a legislative judgment issue and not a judgment for the court,\u201d Ringel said.<\/p>\n

Read more Boulder group drops vacancy tax that included commercial spaces as council eyes homes-only version<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Judges question constitutional limits and pressed both sides on whether the ordinance targets conduct or the status of being homeless.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[32],"class_list":["post-43","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-housing","tag-camping-ban"],"yoast_head":"\nIs Boulder\u2019s camping ban constitutional? Colorado Court of Appeals hears arguments - Boulder Moving Guide<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/?p=43\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Is Boulder\u2019s camping ban constitutional? 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