Private property ownership is one of the foundational rights in the United States. For California landowners, developers, and agricultural businesses, protecting this right becomes critical when local or state government actions begin to compromise land use, physical access, economic value, or long-term development plans. Navigating private property rights and zoning restrictions under the protections of… Read more »
Government agencies don’t always wait for condemnation proceedings before entering private land. Sometimes, they need access before they decide whether to take the property at all. This process is called precondemnation entry, and it raises serious constitutional questions for California property owners. Property owners have specific rights during this process that deserve close attention. The… Read more »
To say that the situation in Nevada between federal officials and cattle rancher Clive Bundy has gotten out of hand would be an understatement. As of this morning, armed federal officials have seized Mr. Bundy’s cattle, forcibly arrested his son, and surrounded his ranch with armed federal agents. The Bundy’s, for their part, have assembled… Read more »
Last week the United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments in United States v. Apel — a case which has a number of free speech advocacy groups up in arms. But as Justice Scalia repeatedly pointed out during oral argument, the First Amendment is not at issue in the case. To understand this confusion, a… Read more »
