Photo of Robert H. Thomas

Robert H. Thomas

As we wrote in this post, the federal government”s position in Knick v. Township of Scott, No. 17-647, which is set for reargument next month, has us a bit perplexed.

On one hand, the SG’s bottom line is good: property owners can bring their takings claims against local governments in federal as

Here’s the supplemental letter brief, filed today on behalf of Rose Mary Knick, as requested by the Supreme Court

Two more — by the Township and by the SG — to be filed today as well. We shall post those as they become available. 

Letter Brief of Rose Mary Knick, Knick v. Township

Earlier this week, we spoke to Howard Mansfield, author of the recently-published book “The Habit of Turning the World Upside Down – Our Belief in Property and the Cost of That Belief.”

His book is about property, property rights, and how these ideas are processed by the American psyche. But instead of

Here’s the Petition for Review we’ve been waiting to drop since last week’s ruling by a California Court of Appeal declining to review the California PUC’s decision to turn down the electric company’s request for a rate increase to cover the compensation and damages that it must pay as the result of a southern California

They’re going back, to reargue the case with a full contingent of justices. In the January oral argument calendar published yesterday, the Supreme Court gave us the date and time: 

Wednesday, January 16, 2019, at 10:00 a.m.

We will be there, and will bring you our thoughts.  

Supreme Court Argument Calendar January 2019 

A unanimous opinion from the Supreme Court, which can only mean one thing: a narrowly-drawn opinion that doesn’t resolve much.

But we’re grateful anyway, because the opinion is one that appreciates the plight of property owners whose land is subject to being designated as “critical habitat” under the Endangered Species Act.

Intervenor Center for Biological