U.S. Supreme Court

SCOTUS refuses to block Pennsylvania order shutting down most businesses

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The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to block enforcement of a Pennsylvania executive order that shuts down businesses if they are not “life-sustaining.”

In a May 6 order, the court declined to stay Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf’s March 19 order, report SCOTUSblog and the Legal Intelligencer.

A group of businesses had contended that Wolf’s order violated their right to have their property taken from them without due process of law, their right not to have their property taken without just compensation, their right to judicial review, their right to equal protection, and their right to free speech and assembly.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court had refused to block the order.

The businesses’ cert petition pointed to an opinion by concurring and dissenting Pennsylvania justices, who expressed concern that the order may be temporary but not for businesses unable to weather revenue losses from the shutdown.

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