Brooklyn property owners sue to stop eminent domain abuse

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I received the following press release this morning. It seems eminent domain abuse is more widespread now than ever. You can see how this abuse closely parallels New London. Will Atlantic Yards become the next Fort Trumbull?


DEVELOP DON?T DESTROY BROOKLYN
Contact: Daniel Goldstein. 917-701-3056

press@developdontdestroy.org


MEDIA ALERT:

October 26. 1pm Press Conference. City Hall

Brooklyn Property Owners and Tenants to Announce
Federal Eminent Domain Lawsuit Against
Pataki, Ratner, Gargano, Bloomberg and Doctoroff
Plaintiffs? Suit Seeks to Halt the Abusive and Unconstitutional Use of
Eminent Domain for Ratner?s Atlantic Yards Development Proposal


NEW YORK, NY? At 1pm on Thursday October 26th on the steps of City Hall, Brooklyn property owners and tenants, along with their legal representatives, and supporters will announce the filing of a Federal lawsuit (Eastern District) against the abuse of eminent domain and the taking of their properties by New York State for Forest City Ratner's "Atlantic Yards" development proposal in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn.

Governor George Pataki, FCR?s President Bruce Ratner, Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC) Chairman Charles Gargano, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff, Forest City Ratner Companies and its parent Forest City Enterprises, amongst others, are named as defendants in the suit.

Develop Don?t Destroy Brooklyn (DDDB) has organized a stellar legal team to represent the plaintiffs: lead counsel is Matthew D. Brinckerhoff of the constitutional law firm Emery, Celli, Brinckerhoff & Abady (ECBA); counsel for tenant-plaintiffs is Jennifer Levy of South Brooklyn Legal Services; co-counsel is DDDB attorney Jeffrey S. Baker of Young, Sommer, Ward, Ritzenberg, Baker & Moore; and a team of dedicated volunteer attorneys.

ECBA and the lawyers who work there have developed a national reputation in the field of constitutional litigation, winning important victories in landmark matters such as Morris v. Board of Estimate, the US Supreme Court case which struck down the previous form of New York City government as a violation of one person/one vote principles, and Gasperini v. Center for Humanities, the US Supreme Court case that upheld a litigant's right to a jury award. The Firm currently has an active constitutional docket, including two other Fifth Amendment Takings Clause cases, and numerous Equal Protection Clause, Free Speech Clause and other constitutional cases.

More information will be available at the press conference and later today

WHAT:
Press conference to announce lawsuit against eminent domain abuse stemming from Forest City Ratner?s ?Atlantic Yards? development proposal

WHEN:
Thursday, October 26th. 1pm.

WHERE:
The Steps of City Hall in Manhattan
(R/W train to City Hall, 4/5/6 train to Brooklyn Bridge, 2/3 train to Park Place)

WHO:
Attorneys, some plaintiffs threatened by eminent domain abuse, and supporters

DEVELOP DON?T DESTROY BROOKLYN leads a broad-based community coalition fighting for development that will unite our communities instead of dividing and destroying them.

Questions: please email press@developdontdestroy.org

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These guys have an interesting strategy. They're going to try to use the Kelo Supreme Court decision to stop this particular eminent domain abuse. When life hands you lemons, make lemonade?

http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/10/28/kelo-v-pataki-not/