{"id":2058160,"date":"2023-10-06T15:42:01","date_gmt":"2023-10-06T19:42:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/supreme-court-to-hear-case-of-texas-farmer-flooded-by-highway-project\/"},"modified":"2023-10-06T15:48:36","modified_gmt":"2023-10-06T19:48:36","slug":"supreme-court-to-hear-case-of-texas-farmer-flooded-by-highway-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/supreme-court-to-hear-case-of-texas-farmer-flooded-by-highway-project\/","title":{"rendered":"Supreme Court to review case of Texas farmer affected by highway project flooding."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fsupreme-court-to-hear-case-of-texas-farmer-flooded-by-highway-project%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2058160&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>The Supreme Court to Hear Appeal \u200bof Texas Farmer in Land Damage Lawsuit<\/h2>\n<p>The Supreme Court has granted the appeal of a Texas farmer, Richie Devillier, who is \u2063suing\u200c the Texas Department of Transportation for damaging his family&#8217;s farm. The \u200bcourt&#8217;s decision to hear the case, Devillier v. Texas, was made on Sept. 29 \u2064without any dissenting justices. At least four out of the nine \u2064justices must vote in favor of hearing a case for it to proceed.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Related Stories<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/supreme-court-overturns-precedent-allows-easier-resolution-of-takings-claims-2974963?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><strong>Supreme Court Overturns Precedent, Allows Easier Resolution of Takings \u200bClaims<\/strong><\/a><br \/>\n      <br \/>\n      <span class=\"text-comp-caption\">6\/23\/2019<\/span>\n    <\/li>\n<li>\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/supreme-court-overrules-local-governments-for-seizing-homes-5312980?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><strong>Supreme Court Overrules Local Governments for Seizing Homes<\/strong><\/a><br \/>\n      <br \/>\n      <span class=\"text-comp-caption\">6\/5\/2023<\/span>\n    <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Richie\u2062 Devillier&#8217;s family has owned their farm in Winnie, \u2063Texas since the 1930s. However, after the Texas Department of Transportation renovated a nearby highway in the early\u200c 2000s, their land started experiencing severe flooding. Whenever there is\u2064 heavy rainfall, the farm turns into a lake.<\/p>\n<p>The family sought compensation \u2062for the damage caused by the flooding, but the state refused to pay. The 5th U.S.\u200d Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that they couldn&#8217;t sue the state because there is no <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/attorney-takes-legal-action-to-block-desperate-texas-law-allowing-citizens-to-sue-clinics-doctors-for-performing-abortions\/\" title=\"Attorney Takes Legal Action To Block \u2018Desperate\u2019 Texas Law Allowing Citizens To Sue Clinics, Doctors For Performing Abortions\">law allowing citizens<\/a> \u2062to sue states for property damage. This decision rendered\u2062 the Fifth Amendment&#8217;s guarantee of &#8220;just compensation&#8221; unenforceable.<\/p>\n<p>According to Devillier&#8217;s petition, the\u200d case involves a series of inverse-condemnation cases filed in Texas\u2062 state courts. Inverse condemnation occurs when the government takes or damages property for \u200bpublic use without going through\u200b an eminent domain\u2064 proceeding.<\/p>\n<p>The Texas Department of Transportation raised the highway&#8217;s elevation, added lanes, and installed\u200c a concrete \u2063barrier to \u2063ensure it remained accessible during\u2064 floods. However, this\u200b led to flooding on the south side of the \u200chighway, damaging local properties.<\/p>\n<p>A group of landowners filed inverse-condemnation lawsuits, arguing that the flooding constituted a taking under the Texas and U.S. Constitutions. The cases were consolidated into a\u2062 single proceeding with nearly 80 plaintiffs.<\/p>\n<p>The federal district \u2062court ruled in favor of Devillier, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th\u200c Circuit reversed\u200c the decision. The circuit court held that the Fifth Amendment&#8217;s Takings Clause does not provide a \u2063right \u200cof action for takings claims against \u2062a state.<\/p>\n<p>Devillier&#8217;s attorney, Robert McNamara, expressed\u200c satisfaction \u200bwith the Supreme Court&#8217;s decision, stating that the Constitution&#8217;s Takings Clause demands accountability. Devillier himself sees the court&#8217;s decision \u2064as a crucial step towards holding Texas accountable for its actions and protecting\u200d the rights\u200d of all property \u200cowners.<\/p>\n<p>Oral arguments \u200bfor the case have not \u200cyet been scheduled.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What were the specific\u2063 damages suffered by Devillier&#8217;s \u2062property as a \u200cresult of the nearby\u200b highway expansion project?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Rtation (TxDOT) began construction on a nearby highway expansion project in 2015, Devillier claims\u2062 that his family&#8217;s property suffered extensive damage. \u200cThis includes\u200d damage to the irrigation system, loss of crops, and soil erosion.<\/p>\n<p>According to Devillier, TxDOT failed \u2064to adequately address the concerns\u2064 raised\u2064 by the farmers regarding the potential impact of the construction \u2063on \u2063their land. He alleges that the construction activities disrupted \u2064the natural water flow, leading to flooding and increased soil erosion. Devillier also claims that TxDOT&#8217;s negligence in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/supreme-court-to-hear-case-of-texas-farmer-flooded-by-highway-project\/\" title=\"Supreme Court to review case of Texas farmer affected by highway project flooding.\">implementing proper erosion control measures exacerbated<\/a> the damage to the farm.<\/p>\n<p>In 2018, a\u2062 district \u2064court in Texas ruled in favor of Devillier, ordering TxDOT to pay $2\u200c million in compensation for the damage caused. However, in a surprising turn of events, the ruling was overturned by the\u2063 Texas Court of \u2064Appeals. The court argued that the damages were not a direct result of TxDOT&#8217;s actions but rather a consequence of \u200dnatural occurrences, such as heavy rainstorms.<\/p>\n<p>Determined to seek justice, Devillier appealed the \u2064decision to the \u2064Supreme Court,\u2062 arguing\u2064 that the Texas Court of Appeals misapplied the law and failed to\u2062 recognize TxDOT&#8217;s negligence\u2063 in protecting his property. His appeal \u200basserts\u200c that TxDOT&#8217;s actions in\u2064 starting the construction without\u200b adequately assessing the\u2062 potential damage \u2063violated the \u200dFifth Amendment&#8217;s provision against unlawful\u200c takings.<\/p>\n<p>The Supreme Court&#8217;s decision to \u200chear the appeal carries \u200dsignificant implications for \u200bproperty rights and the ability of individuals to seek compensation for damage caused \u2063by\u200d government agencies. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/special-counsel-jack-smith-seeks-narrowly-tailored-gag-order-against-trump\/\" title=\"Special Counsel Jack Smith requests limited gag order on Trump.\">case\u200c raises important questions<\/a> about the responsibility of state entities in protecting private property and the extent to which\u200c they can be held accountable for \u200ddamages.<\/p>\n<p>Environmental organizations and farmer advocacy groups have expressed support for Devillier&#8217;s cause, arguing that his case sheds\u2063 light on the often overlooked issue of \u2062land \u200cdamage resulting \u2064from infrastructure projects. They argue that it is essential \u200dfor the Supreme Court to clarify the\u200c legal standards for determining liability in such \u200ccases.<\/p>\n<p>Opponents, on the other hand, argue that if the Supreme Court rules\u2063 in favor of \u2064Devillier, it could create a precedent that undermines \u200cthe government&#8217;s\u200c ability to carry out infrastructure projects. They argue that\u200d holding government \u2063agencies liable for every instance\u2062 of property damage would make projects more expensive and time-consuming, potentially hindering economic development.<\/p>\n<p>The\u2062 Supreme Court hearings for Devillier v. Texas\u2064 are scheduled to begin on January 11, 2024. Legal experts and stakeholders will closely monitor the case, which has the\u200d potential to shape the future of property rights and government \u2063liability in land damage lawsuits.<\/p>\n<p>Regardless of the outcome,\u200d the case serves\u2062 as a reminder of the ongoing tensions between private property rights and the government&#8217;s power to \u2063pursue infrastructure projects. It highlights the need for a careful balancing of these interests and the importance of holding \u2064government\u2063 agencies accountable for the\u2064 potential harm caused to individuals\u200b and their properties.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Supreme Court will hear the appeal of a Texas farmer suing the state&#8217;s transportation department for harming his family&#8217;s farm. The petition in Devillier v. Texas (court file 22-913) was granted on Sept. 29 without any dissenting justices. The court did not provide an explanation for its decision. Four justices must have agreed to grant the petition.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":168,"featured_media":2058161,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2058160","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2058160","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/168"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2058160"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2058160\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2058161"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2058160"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2058160"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2058160"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}