Cities shouldn’t fine and arrest people for being poor

Los Angeles made national headlines earlier this month when it announced plans to void nearly two million minor citations and warrants. Not two million dollars in citations—two million separate citations and warrants that had kept Californians trapped in a cycle of poverty in the state’s courts.
In announcing the plan, city officials said the move would “unclog” the courts and help individuals struggling with homelessness. But the decision to void nearly two million minor