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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