Hundreds of people at City
Hall as the council takes on
the unsafe camping ordinance.
An update coming up,
former recurring homeless
people share their stories,
and now it's a city for a plan, not a band.
Plus, a man accused of shooting a San
Diego police officer appears in court,
and we're there.
Former President Donald Trump pleads
not guilty in a federal courthouse.
We talked with local experts about
the historic nature of today's
events and a Father's Day duo,
Nathan and Jerry Rainey from the farmers
CBS8 News Live at six starts now.
It has caused division among San
Diego city leaders, San Diegoans
and advocates for the homeless.
Tonight, the City Council
is taking the unsafe camping
ordinance to a vote. Good evening.
Thanks so much for joining us.
I'm Marcella Lee.
I'm Carlo Chicano.
Hundreds of people are at the meeting,
which started early this afternoon.
CBS8 Shannon Handy is live
tonight with an update and when we
could expect that vote. Shannon.
Well, Carlo and Marcela,
that vote will not happen anytime soon.
This meeting started at 1:00. O'clock.
Here we are five hours into it.
And the reason it's taking so long is
because so many people have turned out
to speak either in favor or opposition.
In fact, earlier we were told 240
people signed up to speak in person.
Another 40 wanted to speak online.
So far, we've heard from those who are
both for and against this proposal.
Take a listen.
We have parents walking their children
to school through drug encrusted
encampments on our sidewalks.
We had multiple community
members and vehicles attacked
in my neighborhood on Saturday.
The unhoused need help and they need it now.
We are here today in opposition
to what Council Member Whitburn
and the Mayor brought forward.
The reality is we don't have enough housing.
We don't have enough housing and we
should not focus any more of our efforts
or time having this conversation
when we know what the reality is.
The proposal being considered tonight
is called the Unsafe Camping Ordinance.
If approved, it would ban encampments in all
public spaces if shelter beds are available.
However, there are some areas where
encampments would not be allowed at anytime,
regardless of shelter capacity,
like in parks or near schools.
Now supporters say a policy like this.
Is needed given how out of control
the homeless situation is.
That last count, there were more than
10,000 homeless people in San Diego County.
That's a 22% increase over last year.
The majority of those homeless people
live within San Diego city limits.
However, homeless advocates say many of
these people have nowhere else to go.
Adding this proposal doesn't go far
enough to solve the homelessness issue.
They say homelessness should not be
criminalized and back out here live.
Again, just taking it to the sea.
Here, the chamber is packed.
There were two overflow rooms where
people are sitting in right now,
so that just shows you how contentious
this issue is.
Well, that's why so many people
have showed up to speak what will
happen once public comment is over.
Then the City Council has to discuss this
issue and then they have to perhaps go back,
ask questions of city staff.
So again,
Marcel and Carlo,
this will take quite some time.
It will go late into the night.
We do have a crew out here and we
of course will bring you all the
updates as soon as we have them
and that is latest from City Hall.
Shannon, obviously this
is a polarizing issue.
People are very passionate about it.
The people talking at the
podium you showed us though,
it seems like people are
being very respectful.
They're bringing their feelings,
but they're staying between the lines,
have given their testimony so far.
Yeah, Carlo, you know,
prior to public comments,
City Council members, they reminded
the crowd what the rules are here.
They reminded people to basically
respect what other people are saying.
There were a couple of disruptions.
But once the City Council members
stepped in and said, you know,
that goes against the rules,
Please, no disruptions or
you could get asked to leave,
then those interruptions stop.
So the only thing we're hearing
is just people speaking.
Sometimes their supporters clap for them,
but other than that,
for the most part people are being.
Respectful, of course.
Security, including San Diego police.
They're out here just in
case there are any issues,
but for the most part it has
been a calm scene out here,
but as you can see behind me,
a very busy one,
and it's going to be a very long night.
A
lot of passion.
People want their voices heard.
I think one thing that everyone can agree on,
everyone believes that sleeping
in a tent on a sidewalk isn't the
ideal place for someone who is.
Homeless people want to help them.
It's just the way we go about it.
Is the controversial part of it.
So hopefully they can get through this
and we will be following the story.
Thank you, Shannon.
We'll let you go right now,
but we have crews there and
are going to be following the
story throughout the night.
We'll have much more tonight on
News Eight at 10 on The CW San
Diego and CBS8 News Live at 11.
You can also stay up to date
by heading to cbs8.com and by
following our social media pages.
Meantime, homeless advocates
are fighting back against that
proposed unsafe camping ban.
They met earlier today to
push for a safer alternative.
As they describe it,
those against the proposal argue
it would put some of our most
vulnerable people even more at risk.
CBS, a socio de la Fey,
talked with current and former
homeless individuals about what
the proposed policy means to them.
Alliance San Diego, along with former
and current unhoused individuals,
spoke out against the city's proposal,
saying they are deeply concerned
about this ordinance and are
asking for a real plan, not a ban.
Homeless advocates are calling
on the city of San Diego to put
an end to a proposed ordinance they say
would have devastating consequences
on homeless students, families,
veterans and others without a home.
I know the extremes that these
things go to stop it now.
Ellis Rose spent years living
on the streets of San Diego.
He calls the city's unsafe
camping ordinance a step
in the wrong direction. The
effect of this ban is that if implemented.
I know how these policies end up being
worked on the street and what is going
to be a ban on encampments is going
to turn into a ban on homeless people,
he says. It will only hurt those who are
trying to find a way back into society.
I'm really scared, but I refused.
I've refused to plead for it.
I'm telling them do the right thing.
People like Sulema Guarvado,
who's currently living in a city
shelter with her six year old son.
It's really hard, especially
being a young mother, young mother
with a child.
Guarvado says she came from Mexico seeking a
better future but was only met with hardship.
She's now struggling to get back on her feet.
I have faith and I try every
day to figure out something
like an act. I figure
out a way no matter
what, you know, I have no other option.
My baby depends on me. My son depends on me
she's been at a shelter for.
The past six months and is currently
trying to get into permanent housing.
She and others are asking the city to
do more to help those who are in need.
It's more than hard.
William Keith, an Army veteran who spent
years going in and out of shelters,
is asking the city to improve resources.
He tells me the city plan to get
him into housing at an apartment
complex riddled with drug users,
which he says is unacceptable.
I could do without all that.
I had just already got out
of a bad situation.
And I didn't want to be exposed to or
be involved with that type of culture,
that environment.
So I knew that I was eligible or
I was in a position where I could
do a little better than that.
He's calling on city leaders to
stop recycling people back into
the streets and is pushing for
better housing conditions.
Russia de la Fey, CBS8.
Now an update on a story we
first brought you last month.
Public records we obtained show the
county of San Diego took $3.2 million.
In Social Security benefits
from foster children today,
county supervisors agreed to sponsor
a bill to ban the practice statewide.
Last month, CBSA talked to this
former foster child who says she
wasn't even aware the county
had signed her up for benefits.
She's one of thousands in California,
but a bill in the state Senate
looks to stop the practice.
For more on our coverage and the state bill,
you can head over to cbsa.com.
Tonight, former President Donald Trump
is in New Jersey for a fundraiser
after pleading not guilty to a federal
indictment in a Miami courtroom.
Mr. Trump made his first appearance in
federal court today for his arraignment
on dozens of felony charges related to
his handling of classified documents
after leaving the White House.
CBS8's Jesse Begun is here with
what happened in court and what
the former president is saying now.
Jesse Yeah. Mr.
Trump's private plane just landed
in New Jersey and he's now heading
to that fundraising event,
but before all of this.
Not one to miss a chance to
see his supporters,
Trump stopped at an iconic
Cuban restaurant in Miami right
after leaving courts there.
He again slammed the indictments,
saying the country is rigged.
Former president and current presidential
candidate Donald Trump walked into a
serenade at Miami's iconic Versailles
restaurant today, where he also
slammed the federal indictment.
I think it's a rigged deal here.
We have a rigged country.
We have a country that's corrupt.
Moments before, Trump pleaded not
guilty in federal court to all
37 felony charges he's facing.
The indictment accuses Trump of
illegally retaining classified documents,
storing them at his Mar a Lago
home and conspiring to hide them.
From the government after it
subpoenaed him to get them back.
What we are witnessing today is the
blatant and unapologetic weaponization
of the criminal justice system that
seems to be part of the defense
from Trump's legal team that least
in the court of public opinion.
Meanwhile, while announcing
the indictment Friday,
special counsel Jack Smith maintained
the case is not politically motivated.
We have one set of laws in this
country and they
apply to everyone.
Regardless, supporters and protesters
alike lined the streets leading
to the courthouse this morning.
This whole country has been brainwashed.
Sad day in America as they watched
the historic arrival of a former
president facing federal felony charges.
The court hearing was only
about 45 minutes long.
After that, the court released
Trump on his own recognizance.
He's allowed to keep his passport
and has no limits on domestic
or international travel.
But he's not allowed to
talk to his aide Walt Nada,
who is facing 6 counts of his
own in the indictment.
Marcela, Carlo,
thanks, Jesse. Coming up tonight,
in our second-half hour,
we hear from a legal analyst
about what's next in the case
against the former president,
plus new information about a popular
local bartender, victim of a hit and
run driver on his way to work. Tonight,
San Diego police need your help seeing
a little bit of sunshine out
there as we're getting gearing
up for our sunset tonight,
which is going to be right before 8:00.
O'clock. And as we go into the week,
we're talking about more
afternoon sunshine and warm
up details ahead.
Thanks, Carlene. And up next,
the move by state lawmakers to
better protect samesex marriage
here in California.