County Sues Over Removal of Trees
Miami-Dade County has sued the state, contending it violated the U.S. Constitution when it cut down healthy trees believed to be exposed to citrus canker.
The suit, filed in Miami-Dade Circuit Court, said that Florida violated the 4th Amendment’s search and seizure rules by letting workers enter yards and take the trees without a warrant.
The suit cited a 1967 U.S. Supreme Court case that barred building inspectors from checking fire code violations without a warrant.
Agriculture department officials have maintained that workers can legally enter yards and cut down trees suspected of carrying canker.
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