Moments ago, IJ and Vicki Baker emerged victorious <[link removed]> from a courtroom in Sherman, Texas. A jury there granted Vicki nearly full repayment after a SWAT team left her home in shambles.

This was just the latest win in our resoundingly successful case. This spring, a judge agreed with IJ that “the government must pay for what it takes”—including the police.

The tour-de-force ruling was the first time, anywhere in the country, a court has squarely held that Americans are constitutionally entitled to compensation when law enforcement destroys their property. Following that landmark decision, today’s jury trial—IJ’s second ever—was icing on the cake, as jurors worked out how much would be fair to repay Vicki.

That’s because for Vicki, this case wasn’t only about receiving just compensation for her property; it was about principle.

In the midst of the litigation, the government offered to settle the case in exchange for IJ dismissing the suit—a typical government tactic because we represent clients free of charge. Vicki rejected the government’s offer. She and so many of our other clients are determined to keep fighting to prevent other innocent people from suffering the same sort of injustice.

Her persistence led to greater protection for homeowners and a huge step toward government accountability that would have been unimaginable just a few years ago. The support of IJ’s generous donors makes victories like this possible—I hope you will join us <[link removed]>!

Scott

Scott G. Bullock
President and General Counsel
Institute for Justice


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