CITIZEN ADVOCACY CENTER FILES AMICUS BRIEF TO THE
UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT, JOINING DOZENS OF INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS
CALLING ON JUSTICES TO END EMINENT DOMAIN ABUSE
Read
Amicus Brief & Visit Institute
of Justice to read more about Kelo v. the City of New London and additional
amiucs briefs.
CITIZEN ADVOCACY CENTER FILES AMICUS BRIEF TO THE
UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT, JOINING DOZENS OF INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS
CALLING ON JUSTICES TO END EMINENT DOMAIN ABUSE
The Citizen Advocacy Center joined a diverse group of policy scholars,
civil rights groups, and individuals in filing amicus curiae, or "friend
of the court," briefs with the U.S. Supreme Court urging the Justices
to end eminent domain abuse in Kelo v. City of New London.
The US Supreme Court heard the case Tuesday, February 22, 2005.
Eminent domain abuse is where governments take one person's private
home and hand it over to another private party for their use. Kelo
v. City of New London is a landmark constitutional case, filed
by the Institute for Justice. The case will decide whether the "public
use" requirement of the Fifth Amendment in the US Constitution allows
the government to use eminent domain to take one person's non-blighted
home or small business so a larger business can increase profit off
that land and pay more taxes as a result.
With the assistance of the Chicago based law firm Jenner & Block,
the Citizen Advocacy Center filed the brief in conjunction with the
Better Government Association and several other community groups.
As a non-profit, non-partisan community legal organization dedicated
to building democracy, the Citizen Advocacy Center provides organizing
and advocacy assistance to individuals and community groups, and protects
the public's right to participate in the democratic process.
The Citizen Advocacy Center participated in this landmark case because
the balance of power between private corporations and small landowners
whose property is at risk of "economic development" takings is unequal.
Private corporations and developers wield their political and economic
power to obtain the "economic development" takings of another's property
by promising local authorities indirect public benefits, such as higher
tax revenues and more jobs. The takings also yield substantial economic
benefits to the private corporation or developer themselves. The small
landowner all too often lacks equal political power and financial
resources to protect the property, and feels powerless. The Kelo case
is an opportunity to balance the scale between the small landowner
and the private corporations and developers.
Copies of the brief are also available at the Citizen Advocacy Center,
238 N. York Rd., Elmhurst.
