Man's Trial Over Feeding Homeless Begins
City Says Charity Can't Serve More Than 25 People At One Time
POSTED: Monday, October 8, 2007
UPDATED: 3:25 pm EDT October 8,
2007
ORLANDO, Fla. -- A jury was seated and opening statements were set to begin on Monday in the trial of a man who was arrested for feeding homeless people in Orlando. Eric Montanez was arrested several months ago on suspicion of serving more than 25 homeless people, which Orlando police said violates a city ordinance forbidding large group feedings. The ordinance states that a charity can feed up to 25 people at a time. Montanez, the first person to be arrested under the ordinance, said he doesn't regret it. "This is not about me. This is not about an iconic figure. This is about hunger and the homeless," Montanez said. "The people are hungry. That's the honest-to-God truth." Several charities joined Montanez on Monday morning to feed a large crowd of homeless people in what they said was the only way to legally continue to feed crowds of hungry people. "Getting a hot meal is superb. It gives me energy to do what I got to do everyday," Ronald Pratt said. "I think it's kind of sad for somebody to go to jail for trying to help other people," Rick Gaston said. "The city, time and time again, is denying people, and they're giving nothing back," Montanez said. If convicted, Montanez could face a maximum of 60 days in jail and a $500 fine. Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.
Previous Stories:
- June 7, 2007: Man Arrested For Feeding Homeless Scheduled For Trial
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