City of Alexandria tries to deny client’s day in court
Yesterday, we had our hearing on the City of Alexandria’s motion to dismiss in McLean v. City of Alexandria. In this case, we are challenging the constitutionality of a City ordinance that makes it...
View ArticleCourt denies motion to dismiss PLF’s suit challenging sign ban
Yesterday, the United States Eastern District of Virginia denied the City of Alexandria’s motion to dismiss Pacific Legal Foundation’s lawsuit in McLean v. City of Alexandria. The court’s opinion made...
View ArticleStopping development for cheaper condemnation later is a taking
The Fifth Amendment requires the government to compensate a property owner when it takes property from a private landowner. To get around the requirement of paying “just compensation,” government...
View ArticleA win for free speech and the right to advertise in Alexandria
Today, the Alexandria City Council unanimously voted to repeal the ordinance challenged by our lawsuit, McLean v. City of Alexandria. The ordinance made it illegal to display a “For Sale” sign on cars...
View ArticleManatee population strong
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission released its latest manatee count, revealing that at least 6,063 manatees were swimming the waters of Florida last month. This is the most manatees ever...
View ArticleEPA rule would hurt manatees
The EPA is preparing to adopt carbon emissions rules this summer that would likely shutter coal-powered plants in Florida and cost billions of dollars in compliance requirements. The rules would also...
View ArticleMotion for Summary Judgment in McLean v. City of Alexandria
Yesterday, PLF filed a motion for summary judgment, asking a federal court to hold that the City of Alexandria violated the First Amendment through its enforcement of a city ordinance that made it...
View ArticlePLF victory in free speech lawsuit
Last month, we celebrated when the City of Alexandria repealed its unconstitutional ban on “For Sale” signs, which we were challenging in our lawsuit, McLean v. City of Alexandria. Today, we won the...
View ArticleCourt dismisses union lawsuit against Florida school choice program
Yesterday, a Florida trial court dismissed a union-led lawsuit challenging the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program. The Florida Legislature created the Tax Credit Scholarship Program in 2001, which...
View ArticleFederal Circuit: residual value does not defeat a takings claim
Monday, the Federal Circuit issued a very good decision for property rights in Lost Tree Village Corp. v. United States. In this case, Lost Tree Village Corp. (Lost Tree) wanted to build a residential...
View ArticleNevada enacts landmark universal school choice program
Last week Nevada became the first state to create universal education savings accounts. Unlike education savings account programs in other states, Nevada will offer these accounts for every K-12...
View ArticleGovernment should pay for the full value of what it takes
Landowners face an uphill battle when they file a lawsuit, claiming that the government took their property. But even after getting a court to rule in their favor, landowners often face the additional...
View ArticlePLF files petition challenging proposed slow zone
Today, PLF filed a petition against the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) on behalf of William Thomas, claiming that the FWC is stepping beyond its statutory authority in its...
View ArticleFifth Amendment for sale
Can the government take a person’s home to pay a $133 debt without paying the homeowner a penny? A case pending before a federal district court, Coleman v. District of Columbia, asks just that...
View ArticlePLF sues feds for stalling, again, on manatee petition
It’s been three years since PLF filed a petition on behalf of Save Crystal River to downlist the manatee from “endangered” to “threatened.” Yet the government has continued to ignore the requirements...
View ArticleCan government evade property rights protections by stalling?
Yesterday, PLF filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the Second District Court of Appeal in GolfRock, LLC v. Lee County. This case demonstrates what happens when courts fail to recognize that a...
View ArticleFlorida Supreme Court “splits the baby” in products liability decision
Today, the Florida Supreme Court issued its opinion in Aubin v. Union Carbide, a case that recognizes limits to manufacturers’ liability. William Aubin brought the lawsuit after he contracted...
View ArticleDC doubling down on dispossessed catches attention of the Washington Post
Late last week the Washington Post published an article by Todd Gaziano of our DC office and me, called D.C. doubles down on the dispossessed. We wrote about Benjamin Coleman and other dispossessed...
View ArticleFWC amends proposed regulations after PLF files challenge
In August, PLF filed a petition against the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) on behalf of William Thomas, claiming that the FWC was stepping beyond its statutory authority with...
View ArticleWashington Post endorses PLF position on DC takings case
On November 15, The Washington Post ran an essay that Todd Gaziano and I wrote, urging the District of Columbia to do the right thing and pay for the property it took from DC’s most vulnerable...
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