United States Second Circuit

A preliminary injunction, preventing the City from dispersing homeless individuals sleeping by invitation on a church's landings and steps, was properly issued where the church demonstrated a likelihood of success on its claim under the Free Exercise Clause.

Appellate Information

• Decided 06/12/2002
• Published 06/12/2002

Judges

• STRAUB, Circuit Judge., Before STRAUB, SOTOMAYOR, Circuit Judges, and GOLDBERG, Judge.

Court

• United States Second Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Timothy K. Armstrong and Candace N. Beck, Howrey Simon Arnold & White L.L.P., Washington, DC (Maria Foscarinis, National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, of counsel), on the brief for amicus curiae The National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty., Arnold S. Cohen, Warren B. Scharf and Jonathan L. Hafetz, New York, NY, on the brief for amicus curiae The Partnership for the Homeless., Kathryn Tabner, Shearman & Sterling, New York, N.Y. (Douglas H. Lasdon, Urban Justice Center, of counsel), on the brief for amicus curiae Urban Justice Center., Eric W. Treene, The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, Washington, DC (Anthony R. Picarello, Jr., Roman P. Storzer, Derek Gaubatz, of counsel), on the brief for amici curiae The Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs;  The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty;  The Christian Legal Society;  Clifton Kirkpatrick As Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA);  The Council of Churches of the City of New York;  The General Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists;  The Interfaith Assembly on Homelessness and Housing;  The Queens Federation of Churches;  and Rutgers Presbyterian Church.


• For Appellees:
  
• Carter G. Phillips,Sidley Austin Brown & Wood L.L.P., Washington, DC (James D. Johnson, Gene C. Schaerr, Edward McNicholas, James C. Stansel, Patrick F. Linehan on the brief), for Plaintiffs-Appellees-Cross-Appellants., Jonathan R. Nelson, New York, NY, on the brief for Plaintiffs-Appellees-Cross-Appellants., Katherine Pringle, Friedman, Kaplan, Seiler & Adelman, New York, NY, on the brief for Plaintiffs-Appellees-Cross-Appellants., Mordecai Newman, for Michael A. Cardozo, Corporation Counsel of the City of New York, New York, N.Y. (Leonard Koerner, Larry A. Sonnenshein, Rachel Goldman on the brief), for Defendants-Appellants-Cross-Appellees.