‘Criminalizing kindness’: US woman arrested for feeding homeless people sues

Norma Thornton, 78, files lawsuit against Bullhead City in north-west Arizona over law about food-sharing events in public park

A woman who was arrested for feeding homeless people in north-west Arizona is suing over a local ordinance that regulates food-sharing events in public parks, accusing the authorities of criminalizing kindness.

Norma Thornton, 78, became the first person arrested under Bullhead City’s ordinance in March for distributing prepared food from a van at Bullhead community park. Her lawyer said the lawsuit filed this week is part of a nationwide effort to let people feed those in need.

Criminal charges against Thornton were eventually dropped, but she is seeking an injunction to stop the city from enforcing the ordinance that took effect in May 2021.

“Bullhead City has criminalized kindness,” Thornton’s case attorney, Suranjan Sen, told Phoenix TV station KPHO. “The city council passed an ordinance that makes it a crime punishable by four months’ imprisonment to share food in public parks for charitable purposes.”

Bullhead City’s mayor, Tom Brady, said the ordinance applies only to public parks. He said churches, clubs and private properties are free to serve food to the homeless without a permit.

Thornton owned a restaurant for many years before retiring in Arizona and said she wanted to use her cooking skills to help the less fortunate.

“I have always believed that when you have plenty, you should share,” Thornton said.

According to the Mohave Valley Daily News, Thornton said she had continued to feed people in need, from private property not far from the community park.

Criminal charges were dropped “in the interest of justice” the city prosecutor, Martin Rogers, had said, according to the Mohave Valley Daily News, but Thornton later agreed to let the non-profit Institute for Justice take up a legal case.

“We are seeking an injunction,” the institute’s Sen said, the paper reported, with the aim that the authorities “cannot apply this ordinance against Norma or anybody else”.

The case claims the law infringes on Thornton’s right to carry out charitable acts.

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