A property-rights question brought a Florida appellate court to a 6-3 split Wednesday, with the losing lawyers vowing to take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary.
The Fifth Amendment case challenging a government rezoning decision elicited a spirited dissent from Third District Court of Appeal Judge Frank Shepherd, a former property lawyer who believes case law has muddied a clearly stated constitutional right: Private property should not be taken for public use without just compensation.
