SANTA ANA : Suits by Homeless Challenge Arrests

Twenty-five homeless people who were arrested during a police sweep of the Civic Center last summer filed lawsuits against the city of Santa Ana on Monday, alleging that their civil rights were violated.

“They were treated like subhuman insects,” said Lloyd A. Charton, one of the attorneys helping the homeless in the legal battle. “This is a challenge to the Santa Ana to undo this wrongdoing.”

The lawsuits stem from the Police Department’s Aug. 15 roundup of more than 60 people. Those people were cited on a variety of misdemeanor counts ranging from pulling leaves from bushes to jaywalking and littering.

A Municipal Court judge subsequently dismissed all the charges, saying that police officers accused the homeless people of petty offenses in order to get them away from the plaza. The judge ruled that the actions by the Police Department discriminated against the homeless.

City officials, including Police Chief Paul M. Walters, have denied that officers singled out the homeless. Walters was specifically named in the suits filed Monday.

Police officials declined to comment, referring all requests to City Atty. Edward J. Cooper. Cooper has denied that the police acted improperly during the sweep.

Monday, Cooper added that he was “surprised and chagrined” by the filing of the lawsuits. He said that the city has been trying to work with the homeless people to settle the issue without going to court.

“I had sent them a written offer that they never responded to,” Cooper said. “It wasn’t a take-it-or-leave-it offer. . . . We’re always willing to negotiate.”

But Charton said the offer “was an insult” that didn’t warrant a response.

Nonetheless, Charton added that he still hopes a settlement can be reached before the suits go to trial. Charton said he would like any settlement to include promises by the city to provide affordable housing and health care for the homeless.

“The city can save a ton of dough, if it starts acting in a compassionate way,” Charton said.

Attorneys from nine local law firms have donated services to the homeless litigants. In addition to Monday’s lawsuits, another seven homeless people are expected to file complaints within the next couple of months, said officials from the Poverty Law Center, which is organizing the legal challenge.