The panel also applied the Colorado River doctrine, which bars federal cases that parallel ongoing state proceedings, finding that the residents’ state and federal cases shared “obvious similarities.”
Mount Pleasant Defends Eminent Domain Actions
The village of Mount Pleasant maintained that the land acquisition was necessary for infrastructure supporting the Foxconn project, including a highway intersection. While the promised $10 billion Foxconn plant has largely been abandoned, the village argued in its Supreme Court brief that the residents’ federal case was a last-minute attempt to overturn unfavorable state rulings.
In its opposition, the village referenced the lower courts’ criticisms of the plaintiffs and their counsel, stating that these “scathing rebukes” underscored the flaws in the petition.
Supreme Court’s Denial
The Supreme Court’s refusal to hear the case leaves the Seventh Circuit’s decision intact. Justice Clarence Thomas indicated he would have granted the petition but did not elaborate.
