In a federal lawsuit filed against American Fork City, a panhandler named Steve Ray Evans alleges that his freedom of speech has been violated, when an American Fork police officer cited him while panhandling near The Meadows two weeks ago. The lawsuit doesn’t allege misconduct by the officer, a source told the Citizen.

Evans, a man who has been cited more than 50 times since 2009 by several different police agencies, has successfully sued other cities in the past, seeking monetary damage.

In 2010, he filed and won a federal lawsuit after he was cited by Salt Lake City police for panhandling. In June this year, he sued the city of Draper, after a federal judge had struck down anti-panhandling laws in Utah because they violated free speech. 

In American Fork, Evans was not cited for panhandling, as the city has no ordinance prohibiting such practice, but he was cited under Utah Traffic Code 41-6A-1009, which defines the use of roadway by pedestrians, prohibiting interference with the traffic. The citation took place at The Meadows, as Evans’s “aggressive” tactics created a traffic hazard, a source said.

Now, Evans is suing American Fork City because he wants the traffic law to be struck down. American Fork City attorney Kasey Wright wasn’t immediately available for comment.