The high mountains of Hawaii, with their altitude and clear air, are some of the best places in the entire planet to build the telescopes which allow us to look beyond our world into deep space. But given that it seems that every development in Hawaii is subject to attack — even those you believed
Ninth Circuit Sua Sponte Raises Williamson County Ripeness, Asks For Briefing, Gets Some
It’s been our experience that when a court of appeals — particularly when it’s the Ninth Circuit, and it’s the eve of oral argument — raises an issue on its own after the briefs have been filed and requests supplemental briefing, then whatever that issue is must really be on the judges’ minds. They’re the cream
RLUIPA And The Condemnation Of Church-Owned Property
Our friends and colleagues over at RLUIPA Defense blog Evan Seeman and Dwight Merriam have posted on a case is generating some media attention, and might be interesting to watch.
Orlando wants — what else — a new sports venue. A soccer stadium. And the city is using — what else — eminent domain to get
Atlantic Yards: How About Calling It The “Jay Z” Medal?
You remember Battle for Brooklyn, the documentary which chronicles the eminent domain fight over New York’s Atlantic Yards project? (Read our review of the film here to refresh your recollection.)
Well here’s the latest chapter. Or perhaps “epilogue” is more appropriate, because the former property owners have long since been evicted, the homes have
It Was 30 Years AgoToday…
…No, not Sgt. Pepper. It was on this day in 1984 that the U.S. Supreme Court issued its 8-0 decision in Hawaii Housing Authority v. Midkiff, 467 U.S. 229 (1984), as this article (“Today in 1984: SCOTUS Upholds Hawaii Land Redistribution Eminent Domain Plan“) correctly notes.
Check it out. The author, “an
Eminent Domain Tourism, Asheville Edition
Those of us who practice eminent domain and land use law see the world through a different lens than everyone else. When normal people get stuck in traffic because of highway construction, they may view it as a mass of cement mixers, graders, and safety-vested crews. We eminent domain lawyers see partial takes, severance damages
Mass: Gov’t Not Liable For Impacts Of Road Project On Nearby Business
Ah, the speed of the internet: we were all set to write up the recent decision by the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts in Sorenti Bros., Inc. v. Commonwealth, No. SJC-11420 (May 19, 2014), when we noticed that the good folks over at the Massachusetts Land Use Monitor had already done so.
So
New Article Of Note: The Role Of Eminent Domain Abuse In Detroit’s Downfall
Worth reading: Gideon Kanner, Detroit and the Decline of Urban America, 2013 Mich. St. L. Rev. 1547 (2014), in the forthcoming issue of that august publication. Its not yet available on the law review’s web site, but Professor Kanner has written up a summary on his blog (he might even send you a
Guest Post: Upcoming Ninth Circuit Oral Argument In Bridge Aina Lea: Pullman Abstention, Williamson County Ripeness, And Absolute Immunity
Before we get to today’s post (kindly provided by our colleague and friend Paul Schwind), and the Ninth Circuit briefs, here’s some background on the cases he writes about.
On June 10, 2014, the Ninth Circuit will ride circuit to Honolulu and hear oral arguments in a case which we’ve posted about before. The litigation is
Western Australia Supreme Court: GMO “Contamination?” No Worries, Mate
Earlier this year, we co-chaired the Hawaii Agriculture Conference, and one of the hottest items on the agenda was the “GMO” issue, now brewing in at least two Hawaii courts (the Kauai ordinance was challenged in federal court, while the Big Island ordinance was challenged in the Third Circuit).
We’re