Maryland's Highest Court to O'Malley: Quit Taking People's Private Property

February 10, 2007

ANNAPOLIS-In a stunning blow to Martin O'Malley's use of eminent domain to
"quick take" private property, Maryland's Court of Appeal gave a slap in the
jaw to this practice by the former mayor and the city of Baltimore. The
Court ruled that O'Malley's city administration violated the constitutional
rights of a property owner when they took property for "public use" without
actually having any specific "use" in mind. Maryland Republican Party
Chairman James Pelura released the following statement:

"Martin O'Malley has long been known as the King of Eminent Domain Abuse.
It is stunning that a man who swore an oath to uphold the Constitution
showed such disregard for the individual rights of Marylanders. The Court
was right to remind Martin O'Malley and the city of Baltimore that 'the
right to private property, and the protection of that right, is a bedrock
principle of our constitutional republic.' It was wrong for O'Malley and
Baltimore City officials to take property from our citizens just to
stockpile the property to use 'whenever they want to.' Marylanders should
applaud the Court of Appeals for telling O'Malley and his ilk that they
cannot run 'roughshod' over the individual rights of Marylanders. "