This Land Is My Land

March 19, 2007 | By PACIFIC LEGAL FOUNDATION

by Timothy Sandefur

Today's Legal Times has this article by me and my PLF colleague R.S. Radford, regarding the Wilkie v. Robbins case, which is being argued in the Supreme Court today. Excerpt:

Two years ago, the nation was outraged by the Kelo decision’s insensitivity to the rights of property owners. But if the Supreme Court rules against Frank Robbins, Americans will face an even graver threat than misuse of eminent domain.

Without constitutional rules against official manipulation and abuse, officials will be free to intimidate property owners into simply giving up their land without just compensation and without legal protection. Why would bureaucrats buy land through eminent domain if they could just pressure people into giving up their land for free?

(Read more…) Here is PLF's brief in the case. We'll have more as soon as the oral argument transcript is available.

Update: Thanks to the Cato Institute for the link.