Homeless Advocate Found Not Guilty

A candidate for mayor in the upcoming Amarillo municipal election was found not guilty of an obstruction charge Wednesday morning.

Kip Billups was arrested last March on a charge of obstructing a passageway on the steps of city hall.

Billups said he was there to protest against the city ordinance that blocks camping on public or private property after 72 hours.

Defense attorney Ryan Brown argued Billups was not obstructing people from entering City Hall and motioned for what Potter County Judge Walt Weaver called an instructed verdict.

Weaver granted this motion and said there was not enough evidence for a jury to be able to deliberate and told the jury they would be free to leave.

Billups was free to go on that charge after the verdict the prosecution left the courthouse without comment, but they can appeal the verdict if they would like.