It found that President Nixon’s entitlement to just compensation had vested when the government took his property (i.e., after he had left office), and therefore that “the plain language of ...

nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation. Considering its modern importance, the original purpose of the Takings Clause is surprisingly obscure. Most ...

Under the Fifth Amendment, such takings must be for a “public use” and require “just compensation” at market value for the property seized. But in Kelo v. City of New London (2005), the ...