<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:small"><div class="gmail-css-1fanzo5 gmail-StoryBodyCompanionColumn" style="margin:0px auto 1rem;padding:0px;border:0px;font-variant-numeric:inherit;font-variant-east-asian:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-size:16px;line-height:inherit;font-family:"Times New Roman";vertical-align:baseline;display:flex;height:555px;width:1200px;color:rgb(51,51,51)"><div class="gmail-css-53u6y8" style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font:inherit;vertical-align:baseline;width:600px;max-width:600px"><p class="gmail-css-exrw3m evys1bk0" style="margin:0px 0px 0.9375rem;padding:0px;border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.875rem;font-family:nyt-imperial,georgia,"times new roman",times,serif;vertical-align:baseline;width:600px;max-width:100%">WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court said on Monday that it would not hear a closely watched case on whether cities can make it a crime for homeless people to sleep outdoors.</p><p class="gmail-css-exrw3m evys1bk0" style="margin:0px 0px 0.9375rem;padding:0px;border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.875rem;font-family:nyt-imperial,georgia,"times new roman",times,serif;vertical-align:baseline;width:600px;max-width:100%">The case was brought by six people in Boise, Idaho, who said a pair of local laws violated the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment. One prohibited “camping” in streets, parks and other public property. The other prohibited “lodging or sleeping” in any place, whether public or private, without the owner’s permission.</p><p class="gmail-css-exrw3m evys1bk0" style="margin:0px 0px 0.9375rem;padding:0px;border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.875rem;font-family:nyt-imperial,georgia,"times new roman",times,serif;vertical-align:baseline;width:600px;max-width:100%">A three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, in San Francisco, <a class="gmail-css-1g7m0tk" href="https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2018/09/04/15-35845.pdf" title="" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font:inherit;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(50,104,145)">ruled for the plaintiffs</a> and struck down the laws, saying the Constitution does not allow prosecuting people for sleeping outdoors if there is no shelter available.</p><p class="gmail-css-exrw3m evys1bk0" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.875rem;font-family:nyt-imperial,georgia,"times new roman",times,serif;vertical-align:baseline;width:600px;max-width:100%">The Supreme Court typically understands the Eighth Amendment to address acceptable punishments rather than what conduct can be made criminal. But in 1962, <a class="gmail-css-1g7m0tk" href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/370/660" title="" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font:inherit;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(50,104,145)">it struck down</a> a California law that made being a drug addict a crime on Eighth Amendment grounds.</p></div><div class="gmail-css-ke163a" style="margin:25px auto 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font:inherit;vertical-align:baseline;max-width:1200px"><div class="gmail-css-48vsi0" id="gmail-newsletter-module" style="margin:0px auto 0px 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font:inherit;vertical-align:baseline;overflow:hidden;width:180px"><div class="gmail-css-1k9ek97" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font:inherit;vertical-align:baseline"><div class="gmail-css-1hdd06o" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font:inherit;vertical-align:baseline;width:180px"><h2 class="gmail-css-13v6p0e" style="margin:0px 0px 5px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.5rem;font-family:nyt-franklin,helvetica,arial,sans-serif;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(0,0,0);max-width:180px">Sign Up for On Politics With Lisa Lerer</h2><p class="gmail-css-utmy9y" style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-size:0.8125rem;line-height:1rem;font-family:nyt-franklin,helvetica,arial,sans-serif;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(102,102,102);max-width:180px">A spotlight on the people reshaping our politics. A conversation with voters across the country. And a guiding hand through the endless news cycle, telling you what you really need to know.</p></div><div class="gmail-css-tjpxhb" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font:inherit;vertical-align:baseline;width:180px"><div name="regilite" class="gmail-css-sefkcv" method="post" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font:i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