It seems there’s no end to strange things in Las Vegas. But a Fremont Street ban on certain individuals is pretty odd… even for Sin City. But believe it or not, Mayor Carolyn Goodman has already introduced an amendment to the city Municipal Code to do just that.
Simply put, the mayor wants to ban people with criminal convictions from the downtown Las Vegas area. That includes Fremont Street and all the way to the Strat. The American Civil Liberties Union is now up in arms over the move, calling it a violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendments.
Concerns from the ACLU and others include that a Fremont Street ban of this nature could be abused to target the homeless and street performers (the two are not mutually exclusive). Doing so, they argue, would violate civil rights, civil liberties, and could lead to profiling.
Interestingly enough, a another case is before the Nevada Supreme Court right now that would have a similar effect for the Las Vegas Strip. The ACLU sent a letter to the mayor and city counsel asking them to wait for a decision from the state high court before implementing anything.
If they city does begin issuing any Fremont Street ban orders, they would stay in force for up to one year. Anyone found in violation of such a ban would be guilty of a misdemeanor offense.