'Chef Arnold,' 90-Year-Old Arrested For Feeding Homeless, May Just Beat The System

'Chef Arnold,' 90, May Just Beat The System
Homeless advocate Arnold Abbott, 90, of the nonprofit group Love Thy Neighbor Inc., center, gets his drivers license to hand to a Fort Lauderdale police officer, Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2014, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Abbott and a group of volunteers were feeding the homeless in a public parking lot next to the beach when he was issued a summons to appear in court for violating an ordinance that limits where charitable groups can feed the homeless on public property. Abbott w also recently arrested along with two pastors for feeding the homeless in a Fort Lauderdale park. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Homeless advocate Arnold Abbott, 90, of the nonprofit group Love Thy Neighbor Inc., center, gets his drivers license to hand to a Fort Lauderdale police officer, Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2014, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Abbott and a group of volunteers were feeding the homeless in a public parking lot next to the beach when he was issued a summons to appear in court for violating an ordinance that limits where charitable groups can feed the homeless on public property. Abbott w also recently arrested along with two pastors for feeding the homeless in a Fort Lauderdale park. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A judge has suspended enforcement of a South Florida city's law that restricts the public feeding of homeless people for 30 days and ordered mediation on the issue.

The ordinance is aimed at keeping people from feeding the homeless in parks and other public places in Fort Lauderdale. Nationwide, people have objected to the ordinance and on Monday, hackers with the Anonymous group shut down the city Internet sites temporarily in response.

feeding homeless arrested

The decision Tuesday by Broward Circuit Judge Thomas Lynch came in a challenge to the ordinance by 90-year-old homeless advocate Arnold Abbott, who has been arrested after defying it repeatedly. Lynch wants the dispute resolved through mediation or trial by the end of the year.

City attorneys indicated they may appeal Lynch's ruling. More lawsuits are challenging whether the ordinance is constitutional.

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Man, 90, Arrested For Feeding Homeless

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