Fifteen years ago, the Supreme Court upheld "one-strike" policies that allowed public-housing authorities to evict entire families if one member of the household committed a crime. Since then, municipalities across the country have increasingly adopted similar policies in their regulation of private landlords: encouraging or even requiring landlords to evict tenants if any member of their family--or even an overnight guest--commits a crime anywhere at all. The Institute for Justice has challenged one such law in Granite City, Illinois, where city authorities are trying to compel a local landlord to evict Jessica and Kenny Wylie (and their children) based on a crime committed by a since-departed friend of their teenage son. Jessica and Kenny want to stay, and their landlord wants them to stay, but city officials say they have to go. IJ Senior Attorney Robert McNamara will discuss the case and more broadly the constitutional, property-rights, and criminal-justice issues surrounding so-called "crime-free housing" laws.
Featuring:
Robert McNamara, Senior Attorney, Institute for Justice

Teleforum calls are open to all dues paying members of the Federalist Society. To become a member, sign up on our website. As a member, you should receive email announcements of upcoming Teleforum calls which contain the conference call phone number. If you are not receiving those email announcements, please contact us at 202-822-8138.