A judge has issued an order that temporarily bars people from being arrested in Fort Lauderdale for feeding the homeless.

90-year-old World War II veteran Arnold Abbott captured global attention last month when he defied a city ordinance passed in October that prohibited feeding homeless people in the city without permits and toilet facilities, effectively making the process illegal.

Police repeatedly issued Abbott with citations and video recorded his group's feeding sessions, prompting a public relations backlash. Abbott, who has been feeding the homeless for 23 years, previously won a lawsuit in 2000 which overturned a ban on feeding homeless people on the beach, an outcome authorities claim is superseded by a new city ordinance which prohibits the sharing of food.

With the matter heading for mediation, Broward Judge Thomas Lynch ruled today that there could be no arrests or citations for violating the ordinance for a 30 day period. Abbott and others are facing a $500 fine and 60 days in jail if the city chooses to pursue charges.