270 results for 'cat:"Municipal Law"'.
J. Ede reverses the district court's grant of an injunction to opponents of the Minneapolis 2040 plan in their Minnesota Environmental Rights Act suit against the city challenging the plan's implementation. The district court abused its discretion in ordering injunctive relief, namely a reversion to the city's 2030 plan, that was unsupported by evidence in the record, was based on legal error, and imposed an unnecessary hardship on the city. Reversed.
Court: Minnesota Court Of Appeals, Judge: Ede, Filed On: May 13, 2024, Case #: A23-1382, Categories: Environment, municipal Law, Injunction
J. Pechman finds that a jury must determine whether the protesters' First Amendment rights were violated when they were arrested and booked in jail for writing political messages in sidewalk chalk and charcoal on the city's temporarily erected walls outside of the Seattle Police Department's East Precinct. "While this case does not implicate the city's ability to enforce its property destruction ordinance more generally, it touches on questions impacting the public civil discourse and free speech in Seattle."
Court: USDC Western District of Washington, Judge: Pechman, Filed On: May 10, 2024, Case #: 2:23cv17, NOS: Other Civil Rights - Civil Rights, Categories: Civil Rights, municipal Law, First Amendment
J. Clarke dismisses the landlords' complaint that the county's code enforcement officer wrongfully accused the landlords of violating county code by not obtaining agricultural exemptions or structural permits for 20 greenhouse structures and not obtaining electrical permits for the same 20 greenhouses, leading to a citation for $40,000 fine. The landlords do not state a claim for wrongful use of civil proceedings because while they may have a valid defense for the legality of the structures that their tenant built on their property, they do not allege that the code enforcement officer did not have probable cause to issue the citation.
Court: USDC Oregon, Judge: Clarke, Filed On: May 9, 2024, Case #: 1:23cv1607, NOS: Other Civil Rights - Civil Rights, Categories: Civil Rights, municipal Law, Due Process
J. Horton finds, in this interlocutory appeal, the trial court properly granted the river authority's motion for summary judgment. The utilities entities did not have the right to assert certain affirmative defenses to the authority's breach of contract claim for payment under longstanding contracts it used to secure repayment of its debt in return for the sale of outstanding bonds. Under statutes applying to the bonds, the legislature made the validity of a local government's contracts pledged to secure a debt obligation and approved through the process required by these statutes “incontestable in a court or other forum.” The incontestability statutes expressly foreclose the utilities' right to assert the affirmative defenses raised. Affirmed.
Court: Texas Courts of Appeals, Judge: Horton , Filed On: May 9, 2024, Case #: 09-23-00167-CV, Categories: Debt Collection, Government, municipal Law
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J. Worthen finds the trial court properly granted the city's motion for summary judgment. The probationary patrol officer, who was prescribed Percocet for pain management of pancreatitis, was terminated for failure to perform his duties. Sufficient evidence shows the officer was unable to satisfactorily perform the duties of his job. No error is found in the court's exclusion of evidence of the city's background check on the officer. Affirmed.
Court: Texas Courts of Appeals, Judge: Worthen , Filed On: May 8, 2024, Case #: 12-23-00289-CV, Categories: Employment, Evidence, municipal Law
J. Coulson denies a former police officer’s estate’s motion for summary judgment seeking a ruling in their favor without a trial in this lawsuit brought by a retired police officer alleging violations of the United States Constitution, the Maryland Declaration of Rights, and Maryland common law. The retired officer alleges he was battered, falsely arrested with excessive and unreasonable force, and maliciously prosecuted by the decedent and fellow officers. The decedent alleged that the retired officer did in fact resist arrest and any reasonable jury could find it was excessive force during handcuffing. Therefore, the decedent is not entitled to qualified immunity, there are genuine disputes of material fact and adequate discovery needs to be developed. The estate may file another motion for summary judgment after the discovery is available.
Court: USDC Maryland, Judge: Coulson, Filed On: May 3, 2024, Case #: 1:23cv2379, NOS: Other Civil Rights - Civil Rights, Categories: Constitution, municipal Law, Police Misconduct
J. Marconi grants the motion for leave to amend a complaint brought by a pedestrian who was injured when he tripped due to a hole in a public sidewalk in Conway, New Hampshire. The pedestrian has the opportunity to include, in his complaint, allegations that satisfy the particularity requirement, which he has failed to achieve so far. Reversed in part.
Court: New Hampshire Supreme Court, Judge: Marconi, Filed On: May 3, 2024, Case #: 2022-0648, Categories: Insurance, municipal Law, Damages
J. Robinson finds that the trial court properly properly upheld the department of revenue's interpretation that the city was not eligible for payment in lieu of tax funds because the two properties owned by Memorial Hospital did not satisfy the definition of “nonprofit hospital facility.” Affirmed.
Court: Rhode Island Supreme Court, Judge: Robinson, Filed On: May 2, 2024, Case #: 21-185, Categories: municipal Law, Tax
J. Cabell denies a mayor’s motion for judgment as a matter of law, or alternatively a new trial, related to a verdict in favor of a developer on the developer’s contractual interference claim against the mayor, after city officials denied the developer permits he needed to develop a subdivision of homes. The mayor claims the use of the word “or” in the verdict form makes it unclear which contract he is determined to have interfered with, but the mayor raises this argument too late and had the opportunity to have done so earlier.
Court: USDC Massachusetts, Judge: Cabell, Filed On: May 1, 2024, Case #: 1:16cv11575, NOS: Other Civil Rights - Civil Rights, Categories: municipal Law, Real Estate, Zoning
J. Nguyen finds that the district court properly dismissed a nightclub operator's claim in an action alleging First Amendment and due process violations when the city suspended its license to operate a nightclub for thirty days following a shooting outside the club. The city found the club operated its venue in a manner that caused the shooting and created a public nuisance in violation of San Jose Municipal Code. The club failed to state a procedural due process claim. Affirmed.
Court: 9th Circuit, Judge: Nguyen, Filed On: April 30, 2024, Case #: 20-15085, Categories: Constitution, municipal Law
J. Streeter finds that the trial court properly denied writ relief to a cardroom whose application to expand was denied by the state gambling commission. A local voter-approved measure that would enable the expansion is not exempt from the Gambling Control Act, which requires approval from the commission. Also, the ballot language for the measure did not substantially comply with a requirement for neutral, concise wording. And the commission rightly rejected the cardroom's application because the measure did not comply with statute. Affirmed.
Court: California Courts Of Appeal, Judge: Streeter, Filed On: April 30, 2024, Case #: A168427, Categories: Administrative Law, Elections, municipal Law
J. Pirtle finds the county court properly dissolved the temporary restraining order preventing demolition of the property. The homeowner was issued a notice of property violations, and the restraining order was implemented pending resolution of litigation. The owner’s witness was found to not be credible, while the city’s witnesses were found to be credible. The multiple violations, pending for several years, had not been resolved. The owner also failed to demonstrate it lacked an adequate remedy at law. Affirmed.
Court: Nebraska Court Of Appeals, Judge: Pirtle , Filed On: April 30, 2024, Case #: A-23-680, Categories: Administrative Law, municipal Law, Injunction
Per curiam, the court of appeals finds that the lower court properly granted the township summary judgment in claims seeking a voter referendum regarding the decision to grant a developer a rezoning ordinance because technical deficiencies contained in the petition were cured when voters rejected the ordinance. Affirmed.
Court: Michigan Court of Appeals, Judge: Per curiam, Filed On: April 25, 2024, Case #: 367925, Categories: Civil Procedure, municipal Law, Zoning
J. Walker reverses in part the lower court's order granting injunctive relief to the city for enforcement of a combined $198,150 fine against the construction company and its owner for building and fire code violations issued by the city's municipal court the previous August, and appointment of a special commissioner to oversee sale of the building the construction company used as a rental unit. While the judge did not abuse her discretion by granting the city's request for injunction for enforcement of the judgments, she erred by appointing the special commissioner to move forward with sale of the building without the issuance and return of a writ of fieri facias. Reversed in part.
Court: West Virginia Supreme Court Of Appeals, Judge: Walker , Filed On: April 25, 2024, Case #: 22-0503, Categories: municipal Law, Property, Enforcement Of Judgments
J. Lampkin finds that the lower court properly dismissed an attorney's First Amendment challenge to a village ordinance requiring public comments of special village board meetings to be germane to agenda items. This relevancy restriction on council meetings is reasonable, even though it is content based, in light of the purpose of board meetings to effectively conduct business of specified matters and ensure citizens have the time to present their views. Affirmed.
Court: Illinois Appellate Court, Judge: Lampkin, Filed On: April 24, 2024, Case #: 230139, Categories: municipal Law, First Amendment
J. Mawla finds that the state agency properly declined to reconsider an order in which the board of public utilities established siting requirements for the competitive solar incentive program for projects that exceed use on covered agricultural land or the county's 5% concentration limits. The program limits are not contained in separate sections of the underlying regulation, and state- and county-wide limits on farmland construction are contained in separate sections. Affirmed.
Court: New Jersey Appellate Division, Judge: Mawla , Filed On: April 23, 2024, Case #: A-2232-22, Categories: Energy, municipal Law
J. Kafker upholds a city board’s decision to uphold a tax assessment of a media company using city signs for its advertisements, which it pays the city to do. The signs are not exempt from taxation because they constitute a for-profit use of the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority’s property in connection with a business. Affirmed.
Court: Massachusetts Supreme Court, Judge: Kafker, Filed On: April 22, 2024, Case #: SJC-13489, Categories: municipal Law, Tax, Business Practices
J. McDonald finds that claims seeking punitive damages concerning the administration of drainage districts were properly dismissed since plaintiffs conceded the county did not owe a fiduciary duty in administering the districts or providing engineering services, and punitive damages could not be sought in stand-alone claims. Affirmed.
Court: Iowa Supreme Court, Judge: McDonald, Filed On: April 19, 2024, Case #: 23-0866, Categories: municipal Law, Damages
J. Bamattre-Manoukian finds that the trial court erroneously held that a county was not required to comply with a city's claim presentation ordinance before it sued the city for reimbursement of sums spent on emergency road repairs. The city ordinance has a claim presentation requirement that applies to all claims that are exempted from the requirement under the Government Claims Act. The city ordinance also expressly states that no lawsuit for claims for money or damages may be filed unless a written claim has first been presented to the city. Vacated.
Court: California Courts Of Appeal, Judge: Bamattre-Manoukian, Filed On: April 16, 2024, Case #: H050881, Categories: municipal Law
J. Sacks finds that a board of health’s order to the owner of an asphalt plant to cease and desist its operation is valid and reverses a judgment nulling the order. While the prior judge determined that the order was arbitrary and capricious because the board failed to provide evidence that the odor produced by the plant is injurious to the public health, the board has the authority to treat the plant as a public nuisance after residents in proximity to the plant complained of the intense odor, dizziness and eyes burning and watering. Reversed.
Court: Massachusetts Court Of Appeals, Judge: Sacks, Filed On: April 12, 2024, Case #: 23-P-629, Categories: Environment, municipal Law, Zoning
J. Orme finds that the district court properly upheld a city's denial of a retail tobacco specialty business license. The legislature delegated licensing authority to the city and statute forbids the operation of a retail tobacco specialty business without a license. Affirmed.
Court: Utah Court Of Appeals, Judge: Orme, Filed On: April 11, 2024, Case #: 20220101-CA, Categories: municipal Law, Zoning
J. Stewart finds the district court properly declined to enjoin San Antonio's park development tree removal plans. Members of the Lipan-Apache Native American Church say the city's plan prevented them from performing essential religious ceremonies. Though the court ordered the city to provide access to the area, the city had appointed qualified arborists to evaluate which trees needed to be removed because of construction restrictions and ensured bird deterrence measures are not aimed at preventing the presence of birds. The church members have not demonstrated they are likely to prevail on their claim the district court's only partial grant of their motion for a preliminary injunction was improper. Affirmed.
Court: 5th Circuit, Judge: Stewart, Filed On: April 11, 2024, Case #: 23-50746, Categories: Constitution, municipal Law, Native Americans
J. Clement finds the lower court improperly vacated a decision by the Board of Fire and Building Code Appeals of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County (the Board), regarding a landowner’s proposal to build an auto repair shop on undeveloped land. The land did not have a water source that would satisfy fire code requirements, so the landowner sought a variance and submitted a proposal to construct a 20,000 gallon tank on the property along with a dry fire suppression system inside the building, but the Board rejected it over concerns for the safety of people and firefighters. The lower court found the Board failed to distinguish the request for a variance from an appeal, vacated the Board’s finding and remanded the matter for further consideration. The instant court disagrees with the lower court’s findings and remands the matter to have the Board’s ruling reinstated. Reversed.
Court: Tennessee Court of Appeals, Judge: Clement, Filed On: April 11, 2024, Case #: M2023-00113-COA-R3-CV, Categories: Construction, municipal Law, Zoning
J. Wood finds the lower court properly found in favor of the Secretary of Transportation in this matter concerning the building of the Obama Presidential Center (OPC) in Jackson Park in Chicago. This is the fourth in a series of complaints from the group about the construction of the center on city parkland. The lower court found the project, which is under construction and slated for completion in 2025, does not violate any laws or ordinances. The instant court finds the current case mirrors that of its previous complaint, and brings forth no new information or argument, making it a matter that has already been decided in prior litigation. Affirmed.
Court: 7th Circuit, Judge: Wood, Filed On: April 8, 2024, Case #: 22-3190, Categories: Construction, municipal Law, Zoning
J. Seibel denies a hotel’s motion to stay the court’s remand order in this matter of alleged violations of municipal code and zoning law. A town sued a hotel for violating construction and zoning laws arising out of a plan to use the hotel to house asylum seekers for a period of four months. The town filed a motion for the matter to be remanded to state court, which was granted, but the hotel argues the matter is under federal jurisdiction as it is a civil rights matter. The instant court finds the hotel has not presented sufficient evidence to support granting a stay.
Court: USDC Southern District of New York, Judge: Seibel, Filed On: April 8, 2024, Case #: 23cv4212, NOS: General - Habeas Corpus, Categories: Civil Rights, municipal Law, Zoning