These folks bought a plot of land and started to build their house when they noticed a drainage ditch was clogged and water was backing up. The got permission from the state to clean out the ditch. The EPA then charged then with a FELONY for disturbing a "wetland" (the water backed up from the clogged ditch). The jury found them not guilty. But not to be undone, the EPA said they were going to fine them some huge amount until the "wetland" was restored.
Unfortunately, I don't believe this victory in the Supreme Court is the end of it. They were fighting for the right to challenge the EPA fines in court. They've only won the right to challenge, but they would still have to win that courtcase. So it isn't over (unless the EPA drops everything for fear of losing or bad publicity).
At one point in our country's history, that would have ended it.
Now we are all vassals of an imperial central government. When will the states wise up?
Yep. This family was on Stossel the other night. They had won their criminal case in court, but the EPA launched a civil action and tarted fining them $175,000 a day! This poor woman was in tears on Stossel. My blood was boiling! This is tyranny!
No, I see it as a major victory for all of us.
This means that the EPA can no longer rule “administratively” without having to go to court, and spending time and money, as well as risking losses. And they can’t count on collecting fines until there is a judgment.
Which means that they are much less likely to make decisions like this willy-nilly.
This won’t prevent EPA over-reach, and it will still saddle people with legal costs in those cases, but there should be much less of this stuff.