Articles

Author: Brandon Middleton Nearly twenty years ago, an Ontario, California company (Kaiser Ventures) proposed the development of a large landfill that would help to address Southern California's critical need for landfill space. But Kaiser didn't just propose an ordinary landfill — instead, it planned on completing the first landfill t ...

Today, the United States Supreme Court agreed to review the Ninth Circuit’s decision in Jackson v. Rent-a-Center West, Inc. In that case, an employee of Rent-a-Center challenged the arbitration provision of his employment contract as unconscionable, and further challenged the portion of the contract that provides that an arbitrator should det ...

Author: R. S. Radford Professor Richard Epstein of the University of Chicago is universally acclaimed as one of the nation’s foremost champions of private property rights. This well-deserved reputation dates back to his classic 1985 text, Takings: Private Property and the Power of Eminent Domain. The Cato Institute, a Washington, DC think tan ...

Author: Joshua Thompson After nearly three years, the California Supreme Court has set a date for oral argument in Coral Construction v. City and County of San Francisco.  The argument will be held May 4, 2010, at 9 pm in San Francisco. PLF Principal Attorney Sharon Browne will be arguing the case for the petitioners. … ...

Author: Ralph W. Kasarda On January 5, 2010, the Ninth Circuit reversed a district court decision and held, in Farrakhan v. Gregoire, that the State of Washington's felon disenfranchisement law violates the federal Voting Rights Act.  In a 2-1 decision, the court concluded that the felons' showing of statistical disparities among race ...

Author: Ralph W. Kasarda In an earlier post on the Liberty Blog, I described how the Ninth Circuit had ordered the parties in Farrakhan v. Gregoire to submit briefs setting forth their respective positions on whether the case should be reheard.  After considering those briefs, the Ninth Circuit has in fact ordere ...

Author:Brian T. Hodges A panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently heard oral argument in Leu v. International Boundary Commission – a case that has been typified by truly bizarre twists. If you recall, this is the case where the U.S. Commissioner to the International Boundary Commission ordered retired couple Shi ...

Author:  Brian T. Hodges Earlier today, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued its opinion in Leu v. International Boundary Commission. As you undoubtedly recall, this is the case where former International Boundary Commissioner Dennis Schornack claimed that President Bush lacked the power to terminate his appointment as a commissioner. Th ...

Author: Ralph W. Kasarda Last week the Pacific Legal Foundation and Center for Equal Opportunity filed an amicus brief in support of the State of Washington in Farrakhan v. Gregoire.  That case concerns an attempt by convicted criminals to nullify a section of the Washington State Constitution that prohibits felons from voting.  (Previo ...