Break out a bottle of the good stuff. It's time to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Baltimore Colts' famous defeat of the city's attempt to condemn its NFL franchise. In 1984, Baltimore sought to keep the team from moving to Indianapolis. Unable to negotiate an agreement with the Colts to keep them in town, Baltimore tried to emulate the bizarre accomplishment of the city of Oakland, which had earlier persuaded the California Supreme Court that to take the Oakland Raiders' NFL franchise by eminent domain and convey it to another, more municipally favored person or entity who would promise to remain in Oakland, was not impermissible under the "public use" clause of the Constitution. City of Oakland v. Oakland Raiders, 32 Cal.3d 60 (1982).

Please see full newsletter for more information.