The Michigan Court of Appeals had made a decision in a smart
water meter case that some of you have been following. Plaintiff refused to let
the City of Warren install a smart water meter on his home, and the city shut
off his water. Plaintiff filed suit against the city. Like with another smart
meter case, the plaintiff’s motives and reasons were good, but his legal
arguments were lacking. This case should in no way be taken as a verdict on the
legality or rightness of smart water meter installation. The court itself said that if the plaintiff had properly presented the
argument that the city does not have the authority to install smart meters
against the will of the residents, “it would be a question of law subject to de
novo review” [p 2 of decision]. In
other words, if you put your case together properly, you could win.
There are several
reasons the court ruled against the plaintiff. (1) He didn't raise the issues
correctly and he didn't properly preserve them for
appeal. (2) He made assertions,
but didn’t back them up with the necessary legal arguments or factual evidence.
(3) Many of the arguments were nearly indecipherable (after reading the case, I
would have to agree).
The court made a very important point. Quoting two previous
cases (brought on different issues), the court said: “It is not enough for an appellant in his brief simply to . . . assert
an error and then leave it up to this Court to . . . unravel and elaborate for
him his arguments, and then search for authority either to sustain or reject
his position.” [p 2 of decision.] In other words, just like with a paper in
high school or college, you’ve got to make the arguments yourself, not expect the
teacher/court to make them for you. And you’ve got to back your assertions up
with evidence and appropriate legal citations. Or, for another analogy: Unless
you’re trained, you probably wouldn’t try to repair your car yourself. All this
stuff looks so easy and obvious—especially because we know we are right—but once you get into the mix, you
find out it’s really complicated.
What About Norton v Shelby County? As David
Sheldon and myself have contended for years, the U.S. Supreme Court case Norton v Shelby County is not applicable
to the smart meter situation. While full of resonant language that can stir the
heart of any American, Norton is just
not applicable. The court of appeals agreed, saying: The plaintiff “cites to Norton v Shelby Co,
118 US 425 (1886), but he does not explain how Norton, a case determining whether a law purporting to
create a board of commissioners violated the Tennessee Constitution . . .
applies or supports his argument.”
[Emphases added; citations omitted.] You have to back your arguments up, and
you have to do so with good evidence and legal reasoning. See
David’s article on Norton v Shelby County.
All of the individuals who have had the fortitude and
courage to go to court over the smart meter issue are to be commended. How do you support them? Reading this
email is not enough! You have to get the word out—to the residents of your city
and other cities, to your legislators and city councils, to your friends. If
you haven’t locked your meter, lock it up! If you have a smart meter on your
home, let us know you want to remove it as part of a large group.
Additional Story
Bill Metallo was being harmed by the smart meter on his
home. The utility replaced it with an analog, under the rules in Florida, but
is charging him for the meter installation and monthly meter reading. Bill has
taken action and filed a federal lawsuit under the Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA), because under the ADA, you can’t be charged for accommodation for a
disability. The problem is, this man is representing himself. NO ONE can
negotiate the Americans with Disabilities Act without a lawyer. Most lawyers
won't take an ADA case unless it is their specialty. If the court rules against
him, as it likely will, he will have set a precedent that will be binding in
that district and can be cited as supportive in other jurisdictions like Michigan.
No comments:
Post a Comment