After a long day spent in the hot summer sun, carrying all your belongings on your back or in a shopping cart, you’re arrested for public intoxication, jaywalking, trespassing or any one of the other infractions that people experiencing homelessness tend to violate more than anyone else.
If you’re picked up near, say, 2100 South and 700 East in Salt Lake City, you’ll have a much different experience moving through the court system than if you’re arrested just a few blocks away on 300 East in neighboring South Salt Lake.
That’s because the capital city is the only one in Salt Lake County that currently has a court specifically serving members of the homeless population — an effort to address not only minor offenses but also the fear, misunderstanding and other obstacles the community may face when dealing with the court system.