United States Second Circuit

In an action involving whether plaintiffs' complaint sufficiently alleged an eminent domain action underlying a city's building project in violation of the Fifth Amendment, grant of defendants' motion to dismiss is affirmed over claims that: 1) the district court overlooked substantial and specific allegations that a private developer was the sole beneficiary of the project; and 2) the public uses invoked by defendants were "pretexts" advanced by corrupt and coopted state officials.

Appellate Information

• Decided 04/07/2008
• Published 04/07/2008

Judges

• KATZMANN, Circuit Judge:, Before:  JACOBS, Chief Judge, KATZMANN and LIVINGSTON, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Second Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Matthew D. Brinckerhoff (Andrew G. Celli, Jr., Eric Hecker, of counsel), Emery Celli Brinckerhoff & Abady LLP, New York, NY, Jennifer Levy, South Brooklyn Legal Services, Brooklyn, NY, for Plaintiffs-Appellants.


• For Appellees:
  
• Preeta D. Bansal (Douglas M. Kraus, of counsel) Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, New York, NY, (on behalf of the Empire State Development Corporation appellees), Laura R. Johnson, Assistant Solicitor General, Barbara D. Underwood, Solicitor General, Benjamin N. Gutman, Deputy Solicitor General for Andrew M. Cuomo, Attorney General of the State of New York, New York, NY, (on behalf of the New York State appellees), Jeffrey R. Braun, Karen L. Mintzer, Kerri B. Folb, Jessica J. Glass, Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP, Richard G. Leland, Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP, New York, NY, (on behalf of the Forest City Ratner appellees), Jane L. Gordon, Edward F.X. Hart for Michael A. Cardozo, Corporation Counsel of the City of New York, New York, NY, (on behalf of the New York City appellees), for Defendants-Appellees.