Lawsuit expands as St. Louis plans new homeless center

ST. LOUIS -- A lawsuit alleging that the rights of the city's homeless were violated has been expanded to include twice as many homeless people and several more defendants, a newspaper reported Saturday.

Two law schools along with the local American Civil Liberties Union and Legal Services of Eastern Missouri on Friday expanded their federal lawsuit against the city and Police Board on behalf of some of the city's homeless, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

Meanwhile Friday, Mayor Francis Slay announced that beginning Sept. 1, the Centenary Church on Plaza Square would be used as a "drop-in center" where the homeless will be able to eat, bathe and later get substance abuse counseling and help finding a home.

The lawsuit largely focuses on alleged events during last year's Fair St. Louis, when homeless people were the target of a police "sweep" so that downtown would be clear of them during the event. The lawsuit also alleges that homeless people were put in jail and told they could be released if they performed free community service.

A federal judge issued a ruling last October supporting the charges, saying he believed that homeless people were taken into custody without probable cause.

Documents filed Friday in U.S. District Court sought to increase the number of homeless plaintiffs from 13 to 26 and add the Downtown St. Louis Partnership, a private booster group, as a defendant. Fifteen individual St. Louis police officers are also among the new defendants sought to be named.