Wisconsin Supreme Court rules that sidewalks are not pedestrian ways

Allowing the Government to seize private properties to add sidewalks.

Apparently the state wanted to use imminent domain to take private property and add sidewalks, but the state has a law that forbids imminent domain for the use of pedestrian ways. The action was challenged and the WSSC came up with a doozy of a 4-3 decision in favor of the state and against the citizens. Apparently a side walk is not a pedestrian way in spite of the clear definition of pedestrian ways being “a walk designated for the use of pedestrian travel.”

I guess there was some language specific to sidewalks that overlap the use of the term pedestrian way, but as the chief justice suggested, this just was a case of sidewalks being a subset of pedestrian ways, not a separate meaning. Turley has a more detailed look at the legal parts of the ruling if you want to get more legal analysis.

This to me is the destruction that is taking place in the Wisconsin court system ever since the Wisconsin voters gave the liberals a 4-3 majority. This is not the first unpopular and stupid decision put forth and it will not be the last. Of course much of the reason there is a 4-3 majority was liberals voting with abortion on the brain. The fact that there will likely be few if any real abortion cases that come before the courts seems irrelevant to these people. Now they have this ridiculous court and this sort of useless and idiotic decision is the fallout from being a one issue voter.

The irony of this (if I am using the term correctly) is that it was your suburban upper middle class voters who ultimately gave the 4-3 majority to the liberals and it is those same voters who live in the sort of midwestern neighborhoods that were developed without sidewalks. I lived in one of these for several years. Upper middle class white collar residents who take pride in their homes and lawns. So this ruling is likely going to negatively affect the very people who voted them in. Not just that they lose a portion of their property, but sprinkler systems, flower beds, and trees planted by the owners will likely need to be dug up, costing these people money.

Perhaps the next time a judge comes up for reelection these sorts of decisions will weigh a little heavier than the non-existent abortion rulings that spawned the liberal justices victory. Perhaps Wisconsin can get back to a common sense supreme court, rather than one that does not believe a sidewalk is considered a walk designated for the use of pedestrian travel.