By William CrumStaff writerwcrum@oklahoman.comA controversial Oklahoma City panhandling ordinance thrown out by a Denver court would have “withstood constitutional scrutiny” in other parts of the country, attorneys for the city said Wednesday in a plea to the U.S. Supreme Court. Attorneys for the city asked the high court to review the ordinance, casting their petition as an opportunity to resolve differing interpretations of a 2014 free speech ruling regarding “safe passage” zones outside abortion clinics. An attorney who is part of the ACLU-led team that sued the city on behalf of a panhandler and others said by text it was “regrettable the city has opted to waste tens of thousands more in taxpayer dollars to file this petition.” First adopted in 2015, and amended in 2017, the ordinance prohibits sitting, standing or staying in the median of roadways where the speed limit for passing traffic is 40 mph or greater. The council majority agreed it was necessary to protect public safety.Read more on NewsOK.com