Los Angeles seeks to dismiss old warrants to help homeless

LOS ANGELES – Authorities are seeking to dismiss roughly 2 million old minor warrants and citations in the hopes of easing legal burdens on the Los Angeles homeless population.

The offices of the Los Angeles district attorney, city attorney and police chief announced the filing of the motions Wednesday, saying they are seeking to reduce the court’s backlog and focus on serious offences.

Homelessness rose 16% in LA over the past year, to more than 36,000 people, according to a June report by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.

The city and district attorneys are also seeking to dismiss old fines and fees for minor violations.

Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore told The Associated Press in July that he considered homelessness to be a “humanitarian crisis of our generation.”