With an estimated 10,000 “quality of life” violations a year in San Francisco for crimes such as camping, blocking sidewalks, and drinking in public–a number that is likely to rise with the recent passage of a sit-lie ordinance–it is hardly surprising that city courts are having trouble keeping up. Denying the poor and homeless the right to counsel is no way to solve the problem. Everyone deserves an attorney. In fact, it is a right.

But that hasn’t stopped San Francisco Chronicle columnist C.W. Nevius from faulting law firms for defending homeless clients whose crime is, in his view, “open and shut.” In a recent column, Nevius seems to suggest that if you are homeless, and have been ticketed for urinating on the street, panhandling or public drunkenness, you are clearly guilty and should pay for your crime.

Unfortunately Nevius is completely missing the point. The problem is not that pro bono attorneys are successfully fighting the charges. The problem is that the tickets were issued in the first place.

Ticketing those who have nowhere to live and no means to pay is not going to solve the problem. And it is public money that could be put to productive use to provide services for the homeless such as housing assistance, emergency shelters, job training, and substance abuse programs.

Tell Nevius to stop attacking pro bono attorneys and to start supporting affordable housing and increased services for the homeless.

Photo credit:  Tarter Time Photography