Professor Shelley Saxer Presents "Public Nuisance and State Action" -- Law and Economics Center Research Roundtable

Professor Shelley Ross Saxer presented "Public Nuisance and State Action" for the Research Roundtable on Public Nuisance, Law and Economics Center at the Antonin Scalia Law School, George Mason University. The roundtable took place on May 16-19.

Introduction to Public Nuisance and State Action:

Historically, public nuisance provided government officials with the authority to enjoin or abate unreasonable conduct that interfered with the public's rights to health, safety, and welfare. While a public entity does not have the right to monetary damages for the harmful conduct, a private plaintiff who can show that her injury from the public nuisance is different in kind from other members of the public may seek to obtain special damages, but cannot seek injunctive relief or abatement. Public nuisance has expanded over time to address environmental harms, the spread of infectious diseases, protests, gang activity, gun control, opioid abuse, global warming, and other "'catch-all" categories to hold people accountable for offenses against the community.