SUPREME COURT CASE Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

SUPREME COURT CASE - Assignment Example The City of New London, Connecticut sought to force the sale of some private property to be used for an urban redevelopment project. Some of the owners objected to the sale. The city government then proceeded to assert eminent domain powers under the Fifth Amendment, via the Fourteenth Amendment, which explicitly applies the Constitution to the States. Traditionally, â€Å"public use† had been interpreted as things or media the public actually used. In the Kelo case, the City of New London sought to justify the eminent domain seizure because the urban redevelopment project would generate tax revenue for a blighted urban area. The Court sided with the city and allowed the forced sale under the Fifth Amendment. This is a significant case because of the awesome power it bestows on municipal governments. They now have the power to seize property not just for sewers or roadways but also for urban development. To see the potential for corruption is not terribly difficult. A rich rea l estate developer could bribe city officials to force a private property owner to sell his property.