The Umansky Law Firm

The latest entry into the annals of ridiculous arrests goes to Orlando police for arresting three members of the Orlando chapter of Food Not Bombs in Lake Eola Park. The Food Not Bombs movement began in the 1980s as a nonviolent organization that feeds the hungry in over a thousand cities around the world. One of the three arrested is a co-founder of the movement.

According to records, the three members were arrested for violating a city ordinance. The ordinance states that groups must obtain a permit to feed groups of 25 or more people within a two mile radius of City Hall.

Food Not Bombs had gone to court earlier in the year to fight the ordinance, but lost in April. Police did not interfere with Food Not Bombs while the case was being argued in court. The US District Court of Appeals for the 11^th Circuit in Atlanta ruled that the ordinance does not violate the Constitution and that Orlando may continue to regulate how many people may be fed in the park.

Orlando police allege Food Not Bombs intentionally violated the statute when they announced on its website for members to show up in Eola Park on May 25. Police allege they found a press release on one of the arrested stating their intention to defy the ordinance. The group had fed the homeless breakfast on Mondays and dinner on Wednesdays for five years.

The three arrested members of Food Not Bombs had their bail set at $250 for each person. Two of the three were bailed out, but the third opted to stay in jail and let the legal process work itself out. They each face a $500 fine and/or 60 days in jail for violating the ordinance.

If you have been charged with a crime in the Orange County or Orlando, Florida area, or anywhere else in the state of Florida, please contact the experienced criminal defense attorneys at the Umansky Law Firm for an initial case consultation today.