Last fall, Professor Robinson was an expert witness in the U.S. District Court Case “Lyall v. City of Denver,” regarding the constitutionality of Denver’s homeless “camping ban” which forbids homeless people from using any form of shelter from the elements other than their clothing. 

Professor Robinson’s community-based research, in collaboration with the advocacy group Denver Homeless Out Loud, established that the Denver Camping Ban undermined the health and safety of homeless persons, causing them to experience higher rates of frostbite, violent attacks, sleep disorders, and mental struggles. Relying partly on this evidence, the District Court declared the Denver Camping Ban to an unconstitutional form of cruel and unusual punishment in January of 2020.