Judge Michael Tynan

photo of Judge Michael Tynan courtesy of LA Superior Court

Many homeless people regularly receive tickets and fines for infractions such as sleeping in the park, panhandling or urinating in public. These fines add up and create a financial burden. It is especially frustrating to the homeless, particularly those who are trying to get off the streets and turn their lives around.

Enter Judge Michael Tynan, a Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge who recognized this problem. Tynan found out about a pilot program in San Diego, where Judge Leo Valentine had started a so-called "Homeless Court" in 1999. Judge Valentine's unconventional court was a place where homeless veterans could have minor, nonviolent infractions erased from their records.

Judge Tynan fought to bring a homeless court to Los Angeles County. He succeeded, and in November, 2000, the first homeless court was held on the streets of skid row, an area of Los Angeles known for its large street population. Judge Tynan literally takes his courtroom to the streets, holding sessions on street corners and in homeless shelters.

There are strict requirements as to who is eligible to get their charges cleared in homeless court. Persons wishing to erase infractions must have been enrolled in a rehabilitative program for at least three months and their citations must be at least six months old. Citations cannot be felonies or serious misdemeanors. Charges involving a victim, weapon or drugs are not eligible to be erased through homeless court.

Homeless persons served by this program are granted pro-bono legal services by schools such as the University of California, Los Angeles, the University of Southern California, Pepperdine University and Loyola Marymount University. An organization called Public Counsel coordinates the legal services.

Judge Tynan's will to help the homeless of Los Angeles County has helped make a difference for countless homeless men and women who were ready to change their way of life.

Earth Visions Productions, a documentary film company in San Diego, California, has created an educational film about Homeless Court.