Legal Digest

The City of San Jose Redevelopment Agency cannot use its power of eminent domain to escape from a contract that gave a company an exclusive right to negotiate a development agreement, the Sixth District Court of Appeal has ruled.

State lawmakers approved few pieces of substantial land use legislation before adjourning for the year in September. Nearly all of the high-profile proposals became two-year bills, meaning they will be revived in some form after the Legislature returns in January.

A federal appeals court has lifted an injunction against a City of Los Angeles billboard inspection fee, finding that the billboard companies that opposed the fee are unlikely to win a First Amendment lawsuit.

In a victory for the owners of senior water rights, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the operators of the Central Valley Project (CVP), in times of water shortage, could reduce a larger proportion of water from the two districts than from other entities with older water rights and separate contracts.

A divided panel of federal judges has upheld an Arizona state law that requires adult-oriented businesses to shut down at 1 a.m.

Opponents of a power plant near Blythe may proceed with a lawsuit that had been thrown out for being filed too late.

The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled the City of San Diego’s method for suspending and revoking nude dancing licenses is unconstitutional because it allows an adult business to be closed down while the business appeals the city’s action. >>read more