City of Lakewood v. Willis

¶1 A city of Lakewood police officer saw Robert Willis walk into the traffic lanes at Interstate 5’s (1-5) northbound exit ramp on Gravelly Lake Drive. Willis carried a sign saying he was disabled and needed help. The officer issued Willis a criminal citation. But the officer did not cite Willis for walking into the traffic lane, blocking traffic, or disrupting pedestrian or vehicle progress. Instead, the officer cited Willis for begging.1 Willis raised several challenges to his subsequent conviction, including a First Amendment challenge to the antibegging ordinance under which he was…