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Simple English definitions for legal terms

public use

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A quick definition of public use:

Public use means that the government can take private property for the benefit of the public, like building schools, parks, or roads. The government must pay the owner of the property fairly for what they take. The Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution says that private property cannot be taken for public use without just compensation. This is called eminent domain. The government can decide what public use means, but it must be for the good of the people. Some famous court cases about public use include United States v. Gettysburg Electric Railroad Company, Berman v. Parker, and Kelo v. City of New London.

A more thorough explanation:

Definition: Public use refers to the right of the public to use property that was once privately owned after it has been taken by the federal or state government through its eminent domain power. The government can take private property as long as the owner is fairly compensated, and the property taken must be for a public use.

For example, public use can include infrastructure and services such as public schools, public utilities, parks, and transit operations. Some jurisdictions define public use to mean “public benefit” or “public advantage”. Other jurisdictions limit its meaning to actual use by the public (“public employment”).

Three landmark cases concerning public use are:

  • United States v. Gettysburg Electric Railroad Company (1896): The Supreme Court established the lawfulness of condemnation of nearly any piece of land, with compensation. The court stated that when it came to public use, “No narrow view of the character of this proposed use should be taken. Its national character and importance, we think, are plain.”
  • Berman v. Parker (1954): In this case, the Supreme Court held that because the Fifth Amendment does not specify what land must be used for besides “public use”, Congress has the power to decide what the use might be. The court also stated that “once the question of the public purpose has been decided, the amount and character of land to be taken for the project and the need for a particular tract to complete the integrated plan rests in the discretion of the legislative branch.”
  • Kelo v. City of New London (2005): The Supreme Court ruled that redistributing the land as part of a detailed economic plan fulfilled the public use requirement, according to Conn. Gen. Stat. § 8-816, because the increase in economic welfare that would result from the development would improve the public welfare of the citizens of Connecticut. The Court used a more expansive definition of “public use” and did not confine the concept to literal usage by the public, but viewed it broadly to include public benefit or general welfare.

These examples illustrate how the government can take private property for public use as long as the owner is fairly compensated. The definition of public use can vary depending on the jurisdiction and the circumstances of the case.

public trust doctrine | Public utilities

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questionnnnnn - does anyone know what it means if you got the first feeler from gulc last week? can't tell if its something generic or something to get hopes up for.
16:22
For those accepted by the University of Utah in the past week--can you share when their published seating fee deadline is? I know the first one was April 15th...? THX!
MrThickRopes
18:28
Fo pm gon be a movviiiiieeee tmrw
MrThickRopes
18:29
I can feeeeeel iiiiit
18:48
@WinnieCOgirl: The Seat Deposit & Enrollment Certification form (due on 05/02/2025) The Seat Deposit (due on 05/02/2025)
rejected on a saturday GG
MrThickRopes
19:49
Did u get rejected fo pm ?
good question i panic checked, do most decisions drop at 4?
i have no clue i checked at 10pm
@ObeseDisagreeableDevil: just generic sent to all
that's what I thought fancy
MrThickRopes
21:37
it all comes at fo
MrThickRopes
21:38
everything
MrThickRopes
21:38
fo pm
21:43
i need advice about undergrad and gpa, can someone help
MrThickRopes
22:33
ok
MrThickRopes
22:33
hit me
22:53
i know its hard to know because I haven't taken LSAT yet, but Im going to graduate with a 3.4. Idk if id write an addendum for my gpa because i just slacked off for a lot of college unfortunately. Plan is to start studying for lsat in October, and then take a gap year to get WE. T14 isn't even on my radar, but from people who know and understand the admission process better probably, am i cooked at even getting into a T50. I know lsat score is huge but reading people get rejected while having 3.8+ is anxiety inducing
23:25
@Sagamore: you can do applicant search to get closer results but there are plenty of ppl with a 3.3-3
23:25
3.4 that got into t50s-t20s (sorry i pressed send early)
23:26
i would just focus on maximizing ur lsat score
we always talk about fo pm but never about fo am
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[] ararara
3:14
Don’t know if I’m about to make things worse but hang in there! If you’re stressed out get to your nearest trampoline and start jumping! It’s better than therapy! Hopefully you’re under some stars!
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