Overturning Florida's 'Liberal' Justices, U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Property Rights

In a landmark ruling that strengthens Americans' property rights protections, the U.S. Supreme Court has overturned a 2011 decision by the five Florida Supreme Court justices commonly accused of being liberal activists.

In Tuesday's ruling -- Koontz v. St. Johns River Water Management District --the high court found that a government refusing to grant a land-use permit can constitute an unconstitutional taking of property without just compensation, if that refusal is granted because a permit applicant will not consent to unreasonable conditions. The state of Florida had argued -- and the Florida Supreme Court agreed -- that it was only a taking if the government imposed the conditions after approving a permit.

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