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43 Pepp. L. Rev. 1101 (2015-2016)
Domestic Violence Victims a Nuisance to Cities

handle is hein.journals/pepplr43 and id is 1107 raw text is: 












     Domestic Violence Victims a Nuisance to

                                                            Cities



I.  IN TRODU CTION .................................................................................1101
II. B ACKGROUND  ...................................................................................1104
      A.  A History ofProperty Nuisance Ordinances in the United
          States .....................................................................................  1104
      B.  Context of Concerns Domestic Violence Victims Face......... 1106
      C.  The Connection between Property Nuisance Ordinances and
          D om estic Violence................................................................. 1111
III. THE CURRENT STATE OF THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE EXCEPTION..... 1113
      A.  Challenging the Ordinance: The Pennsylvania Case Facts. 1114
      B.  Other Contemporary Cases Regarding the Lack ofA Domestic
          Violence Exception................................................................ 1118
      C.  Common   Themes ofNuisance Cases with Domestic Violence
          Victim s................................................................................... 1120
IV. UNDERSTANDING   THE PENNSYLVANIA  CASE: WHAT ARE  THE LEGAL
CHALLENGES  TO THE NUISANCE ORDINANCE?  ........................................ 1121
      A.  The Right to Petition the Government................................... 1122
      B.  Substantive Due Process: Ensuring Life, Liberty, AND
          P rop erty  ................................................................................ 1126
      C.  Statutory Concerns under the Fair Housing Act................... 1129
V.  THE IMPACT ON AMERICA  OF NUISANCE ORDINANCES  WITHOUT  A
DOMESTIC  VIOLENCE EXCEPTION............................................................1132
V I. C ONCLU SION .....................................................................................1134


                          I.  INTRODUCTION

    Lakisha Briggs's ex-boyfriend broke a glass ashtray against her head and
used the broken glass to stab Lakisha in the neck.' Lakisha lost consciousness
from blood loss, a neighbor called the police for help, and a trauma helicopter


   1. First Amended Complaint IN 97-99, Briggs v. Borough of Norristown, No. 2:13-CV-02191
(E.D. Pa. Apr. 29, 2013) [hereinafter Briggs Complaint], http://www.aclu.org/files/assets/norristownc-
omplaint.pdf.


1101

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