Authorized to Steal
If you own a house or car, they are your property. If you produce cabinetry or quilts, they are your property. If you produce raisins, they are your property and…
Civil Asset Forfeiture: When Due Process and Property Rights Don’t Count
On February 6 the Federalist Society held as Civil Asset Forfeiture Update on Capitol Hill with the American Civil Liberties Union and the Institute for Justice as cosponsors. The event…
VA Judge: Law Enforcement Can Compel Fingerprint to Unlock Cell Phone
An interesting ruling regarding cell phone privacy has emerged from a Virginia Circuit Court. Judge Steven Frucci of Virginia’s 2nd Judicial Circuit has ruled that law enforcement can compel…
Has eminent domain abuse backfired?
In June 2005, the Supreme Court effectively gutted the Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment, ruling in Kelo v. New London that governments could take private property not just…
Where are they Now? The Tenuous Legacy of the Bill of Rights
This Independence Day, millions of Americans will gather to watch fireworks, grill some burgers and dogs, and celebrate the hard-fought freedoms of our forefathers. But in the heady rush of…
Protecting Private Property
The last clause in the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution reads, “nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.” This is the provision used to…