Honicutt v. City of Springfield

On November 7, 2015, Bobby Honicutt, a 61-year old Springfield resident, was threatened with criminal charges after silently holding a sign on a public sidewalk that read “Trying to Support My Sick Wife| Please help.” On December 3, 2015, the ACLU filed suit on his behalf.

Unable to secure steady full-time employment after the recession, Mr. Honicutt made the difficult decision to solicit contributions in order to support his wife, who suffers from congestive heart failure and needs costly medical care. First, he went to City Hall to ask for guidance on how to comply with the law where he received a document interpreting the city’s panhandling ordinance. It stated it was lawful to hold signs quietly on city sidewalks as long as passersby were not verbally solicited for donations.

On November 7, 2015, Mr. Honicutt was holding his sign on a public sidewalk when an officer threatened him with a criminal citation on the basis that the city did not permit even passive panhandling and wanted to eliminate panhandlers because they make some people uncomfortable. Two days later, Mr. Honicutt sent a letter to his Springfield City Council representative seeking clarification. As of December 3, 2015, his letter remained unanswered.

Update: Dec. 16, 2015

On Dec. 16, with the city’s agreement, enforcement of Springfield’s anti-panhandling ordinance was halted by the United States District Court.

Update: March 15, 2016

On March 15, following the repeal of Springfield's anti-panhandling ordinance, the ACLU of Missouri's request that the lawsuit be dismissed was granted.