What's it like to be excluded from downtown Eugene?

EUGENE, Ore. - James Taylor is one of nearly 100 people excluded from downtown Eugene since 2008.

Taylor said he was selling and trading jewelry three weeks ago at a park when Eugene Police cited him for marijuana possession and delivery. The park is less than 1,000 feet from the Eugene Network Charter School.

A municipal court judge ordered Taylor be excluded from downtown streets for 90 days. It's a punishment, he said, doesn't fit the crime.

"I'll take a possession ticket," Taylor said. "That's fine. I broke the law."

Taylor told KVAL News he feels like the ordinance targets a certain population.

"It seems like a way for them to get rid of a certain kind of people, who travel, it seems like," Taylor said.

Taylor said he moved to Eugene from Dallas, Texas, to start over. He said it's going to take longer because of the exclusion.

"It's crippling," Taylor said. "I've been depressed the last two weeks."

To be fair, this is only one perspective. KVAL News will continue coverage of the Exclusion Zone on Tuesday with interviews with police and a deeper look at whether or not the Exclusion Zone is working.

On Wednesday, we'll look at what's next for the controversial ordinance.