City demands $600,000 for advertising a rental
When the medical team finally gave 82-year-old retiree Sandra May clearance to leave the hospital, she should have been able to focus on her recovery. Instead, she returned home to the news that her local government had slapped her with nearly $600,000 in fines—over a simple website error. Sandra May is a Hawaii homeowner who rents out a p ...
When the police break and enter, who do you call for help?
In June 2022, a mistaken IP address led the South Bend, Indiana, police department to destroy an innocent family's home. Based on an officer's belief that a murder suspect had accessed his social media account at Amy Hadley's address, police acquired a warrant and stormed the building. Officers handcuffed Hadley's 15-year-old son and hauled him ...
It’s time for the Fish & Wildlife Service to restore protections for California fishermen
Californian sea urchins, abalone, kelp, and fishermen have a common problem: the popularity of southern sea otters drowns out the concerns of other species and groups. A charge from Congress It's a decades-old problem. In 1986, Congress enacted Public Law No. 99-625, a statute striking a careful balance between the needs of California fisherm ...
New York artists ask Supreme Court to hear lawsuit challenging $100-per-square-foot exactions
SoHo and Noho, New York City's once-vibrant artist quarters, are now the site of a legal challenge making its way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Pacific Legal Foundation filed a petition for a writ of certiorari yesterday asking the Court to hear a lawsuit challenging a controversial rezoning law that forces New York artists to pay more than $100 pe ...
Kansas city wastes over $800,000 ordering local restaurant owner to abandon mural
A Kansas entrepreneur's First Amendment lawsuit may present one of the most unconventional stories the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit hears this year. Restaurant owner Steve Howard sued the City of Salina for violating his free speech rights after city officials ordered him to abandon a sci-fi-inspired mural on the side of his small bu ...
Washington activist continues legal challenge to unpayable fines
Tim Eyman is trapped by an unpayable debt that's growing daily. Between fines, attorney fees, and ever-increasing interest, the State of Washington expects him to find and turn over $8 million. Since he can't, the State is adding $700,000 to that total every year. Eyman has been fighting this unconstitutionally excessive fine in the Washington c ...
Wyoming county apologizes for wrongful fee, pays family back
In early March, Wyoming homeowners Shelby and Trey Scharp received an unusual letter from their county government. The letter began, "Teton County made a mistake. We required you to pay an affordable housing mitigation fee that you did not need to pay. We are sorry… and regret every minute of distress this litigation caused you." That le ...
California retiree prepares for second Supreme Court battle
In April 2024, California retiree George Sheetz celebrated a rare legal milestone: a unanimous ruling in his favor by the U.S. Supreme Court. George sued his county government years prior after it refused to issue him a building permit until he paid a fee to fund future county traffic projects. Initially, California courts dismissed his claim, r ...
Today’s oral arguments in Pung v. Isabella County
This morning, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Pung v. Isabella County, a lawsuit challenging a Michigan county’s failure to provide just compensation after seizing and selling the Pung family home over a $2,200 tax debt that was never owed. Justice Sotomayor’s remarks included a succinct summary of the case. “Justice Barrett very eloquently described...