Pennsylvania’s centuries-old jury right faces a modern test
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court announced that it will hear the case of Pacific Legal Foundation client Elliot Goldberg—a financial professional who is challenging the State's authority to impose massive civil penalties without a jury trial. At his core, Elliot Goldberg is a problem solver. His success as an entrepreneur can be attributed in la ...
Surf instructor wins fight to teach in Newport Beach
After a long legal battle, Pacific Legal Foundation client and surf instructor Jason Murchison just won the right to teach surfing lessons on city beaches. The California native has been surfing since he was in kindergarten. Always pulled toward the ocean, Jason chose to attend college at the University of Hawaii and later spent time as a diver ...
Proposed bill restores protections for farmers and ranchers
Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis recently introduced legislation to protect farmers, ranchers, foresters, and other property owners from overly broad interpretations of the Clean Water Act (CWA). Shortly after CWA was passed in 1972, Congress carved out an exemption to protect routine land management practices like plowing fields, maintaining drai ...
The family caught in the crosshairs of NYC’s rent control
Hundreds of activists filled the theater in East Harlem's El Museo del Barrio on June 25, while dozens more rallied outside. Despite the high temperatures and aggressive humidity, the crowds were filled with enthusiasm as they waved their scarlet signs and chanted "up up with tenant power, down down with real estate!" After nearly two months of ...
What history has to say about the fairness of tax sales
In its recent decision in Pung v. Isabella County, the Supreme Court ruled that when the government sells your home to satisfy a tax debt, just compensation comes from the surplus of a fairly conducted tax sale and not the home's fair market value. The Court's focus on fairness matters especially in Pung because the fairness of the Pungs' own ta ...
Ahead of Independence Day, homeowners are warned against flying American flags
On July 4, 1776, a group of patriots mutually pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor when they signed the Declaration of Independence. The document signaled the official severing of ties with Britain and the establishment of a new nation, where individuals were free to enjoy their rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. F ...
Justice Thomas says the quiet part out loud in Pung
Yesterday, the Supreme Court delivered its decision in Pung v. Isabella County, ruling against the Pung family. In February, the Pungs asked the Court to affirm that when the government takes and sells a home to satisfy a tax debt, just compensation should be measured by the home's fair market value—not whatever price the government happens to ...
House Oversight Committee to investigate home equity theft in DC
The House Oversight Committee recently announced an investigation into the District of Columbia's use of home equity theft, highlighting a major threat to property rights. Home equity theft is a shady government practice that allows governments to seize a person's property over a tax debt, sell it, and pocket all the proceeds—including the hom ...
From Magna Carta to American independence : The legacy behind America’s 250th birthday
This month marks the 811th anniversary of the signing of Magna Carta, an event regarded by many as the foundation of the English Constitution and an inspiration for American independence. Magna Carta's lore has taken on a legendary quality over time, but the tale of the rebel barons compelling the tyrant King John to affix his seal to a document ...