Calif. man jailed after housing homeless on ranch

[The Straight Story]

Calif. man jailed after housing homeless on ranch

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — A California rancher who houses homeless people on his property chose to serve 90 days in jail rather than accept probation after being convicted of misdemeanor safety violations.

Dan de Vaul says the terms of probation offered Monday would prevent him from sheltering about 30 people who reside at his ranch and participate in a substance abuse recovery program.

The 66-year-old de Vaul says he is proud to go to jail for housing the homeless. About 30 supporters applauded as he was led out of court in handcuffs.

Judge John Trice says officials have offered to help de Vaul bring his property up to code, but he would not accept assistance.

A jury in San Luis Obispo convicted him of two misdemeanors for violations of building and safety code.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jnmxdHKSKbT4zgSB8EU_UwL7nU4wD9C5INPO1

[truedelphi]

1. Best feel good story of the holiday season.

Thanks for posting this.

[Cleita]

2. I saw that on the local news. Many others could house homeless on their

ranch land if the laws didn't criminalize such activity. I haven't had time to research this because of the holidays, but I wonder if there is a way people could convert parts of their property into camps with sanitation and water for the homeless until they could get on their feet. I mean he was housing the people in little wooden shed type shelters. What difference is it if the tent is made of cloth or wood?

[anonymous171]

3. Why didn't he accept their help?

[BeFree]

5. Eh?

And let big government get its foot in the door on his ranch?

The man is a hero and he doesn't need government help.
At least not the help he's getting. Going to jail? F that.

[anonymous171]

7. Another article:

The rancher has operated a sober-living program for eight years, housing up to 70 people in mobile homes, tents, garden sheds and an aging Victorian home. Most of the living arrangements are unsafe and unsanitary, county code enforcement officials have said.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-sober-ranch24-2009nov24,0,4510546.story

Sounds like they were trying to shut him down, not help him.

[BeFree]

8. You got it

They don't want him to be a hero.
They don't really care about homeless people, or they would...

[sendero]

23. "unsafe and unsanitary"...

... moreso than living on the streets? I don't think so.

[Chemisse]

25. Exactly what I was thinking - nt

[whistler162]

4. He is going to jail for being to proud to accept other peoples help.

"Judge John Trice says officials have offered to help de Vaul bring his property up to code, but he would not accept assistance."

Which is weird when he trying to help people.

[Cleita]

6. Some of the rancher types around here have a tea bagger mentality when

it comes to do with anything having to do with the government telling them what to do even if it's to help out.

[TheMadMonk]

26. I would look closely at the "help" offered, before making such pronouncements.

I've seen some of the bullshit "i" crossing, "t" dotting that passes for "code" on suchlike facilities.

If there is a "greater purpose" involved, almost invariably the requirements for a residential facility are enormously more draconian than for one where the only purpose is the comercial supply of accomodation.

[ixion]

9. This is a good example of what is wrong with our society...

someone tries to help people, and they arrest them.

[blues90]

10. yeah , really , all they had to do was just tell him and

he would have done what was needed not arrest him. He does a good thing , a warning would have been enough.

[cali]

11. I'd like to see the condition of the property before I pass judgment

Just possibly he is housing people in dangerous conditions and generous as he is, that's not a good thing either, if the conditions are truly dangerous.

[BeFree]

12. Eh?

How is homeless and wandering the streets less dangerous than having a place to end the wandering?

[cali]

14. it's not, but their are liabilities and legal issues involved- not just for this rancher

either. As I said, I'd prefer not to jump to conclusions.

[BeFree]

16. Yep

As it has been said: the homeless must follow the law or they will be put on the streets.

I don't need to see the place, if they weren't better off they wouldn't be there.

[vadawg]

19. i guess if the facilities are a fire hazard, with bare live wires and maybe backed up sewage

then they can be more dangerous...

[BeFree]

20. heh

Yeah, sleeping on the streets is not?

How many people have been hurt on the ranch?
How many people on the streets get hurt and no one cares?

If the gov wanted to help homeless this guy wouldn't.
That's about all we need to know, init?

[vadawg]

21. yeah right because the homeless dont deserve the same safety precautions that you do

i guess just because they are homeless that no one should be looking out for them, i applaud the guy for trying to help but others can help as well by at least making sure the building they are in are not going to burn down around them...

[Better Today]

13. As true as your concern may end up being, I still think it's probably safer

than living on the street, homeless.

[anonymous171]

15. The only really dangerous thing was bare wiring in one of the buildings

Which was closed a couple years ago anyways. This article (http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-sober-ranch24-2009nov24,0,4510546.story) explains a lot of the backstory.

[dorktv]

17. All it seems to say is that he has been violating the law for years.

[paulsby]

24. it's also a story about govt. regulation

and the unintended consequences thereof.

safety and code regulations are good. but like other laws, they restrict behavior, contract liberty, and have tradeoffs.

[w4rma]

18. That wiring problem is probably easy to fix. Perhaps someone could do a little charitable work for

the ranch and fix it?

[varelse]

22. Because their living conditions are of such concern

oh, fuck me. I'm so sure these 70 people will be better off sleeping in alleys and being beaten to death or robbed by hateful middle-class teenagers. Living conditions? Yeah. This guy's going to jail because he provided them with living conditions - instead of driving them away in the hopes that eventually they'd just disappear.

People are being put in jail for feeding the poor as well. What in the hell is wrong with us?

[Duke Newcombe]

27. I don't know about you...

but I feel safer already, what with that nefarious criminal now safely behind bars. :eyes: